Does This Darkness Have A Name?
by Wonderlust Of A Lost Girl
Summary: Bella and Charlotte share a past. Was it enough for Bella to set the whole terrifying plot up; the trappings of the gang in a hell-tell, the seduction of the wanted, and the murders of the lost? Hidden insanity marks the breaking point of all.
1. Worst Date Ever

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Honestly this is a randomly put together story that I feel like writing because I have MAJOR writer's block and need to get my fluids going. Please review atm. It inspires me!**

**Emma's POV**

My fake smile all throughout the night was starting to hurt my face. But it shouldn't have been, should it?

I had everything I could have ever wanted. I was sitting there, a nineteen-year-old girl, in Paris, France, in a restaurant right next to the Eiffel Tower in front of my former boyfriend Ashton Dove.

Yet somehow the whole thing seemed odd.

My long billowy blond hair dazzled down on my sparkly silver dress, while my make-up was perfectly lightening my eyes. Ash was hot as ever, yet we both just sat there.

On my senior year, my family and I had decided we would travel the world together. In fact we had traveled to the States, France, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, Egypt, New Zealand, and even some town in Toronto, Canada, when we were waiting to see Niagara Falls. But throughout this worldly exploration, I had been forced to leave my two best friends, and Ash behind.

Now, Ash had randomly piped up onto Facebook and told me (two years after I moved away) that he was going to be in France and would love to see me.

The only thing I hadn't told him was that I had a new boyfriend, along with a suite now residing in one of the best French Hotels, two Twins that relied on my every move, and all the food I could ask for.

"So, Ash, I hear you got accepted into UOS! That must be exciting! Its marked one of the best schools in the country!" I chattered away while casually sipping my Shirley Temple.

"Um, yeah, its great. I start in a few months." He answered numbly. "But…I'm sure that's nothing compared to what you've been up to." He stared at me, with an anguishing bitter face, almost angry, if not hurt.

"Um…" was my intelligent response.

"I don't know if I'm up for College yet. I've just been studying at all these magnificent places. I used to believe that College and education was the number one thing, but now, I just…dunno. I think knowledge is more important than anything."

I sighed, waiting for applause at my brave statement.

All that happened was the waiter came up and asked both of us if we needed refills in his French accent, which I had been strangely becoming accustomed to.

"Oh yeah, I don't think too many colleges would be too happy to take in a girl that's been in one of the number one visited porn sites." Ash bit his lip. My eyes shuttered in confinement.

"Ash, what the hell are you talking about?" I stammered. I hated that knowing glare he was now presenting to me. He didn't know anything. I had never participated in porn.

"Oh, just the new sight called ." Now I saw the frightening hurt in his eyes, the feigning betrayal. "How could you?"

"Ash!" My eyes swamped in worry. He had to be joking.

Then the thoughts of my high and drunk one-night club crazed party, in which I had somehow wounded in a house with many naked people all lying upon each other, and how I had felt sick for days, not knowing exactly what I had done, and feeling that creepy senseless feeling inside.

"Why don't you take a look at this?" He shoved his iPhone into my face, and the video loading flooded into my view.

A blonde nude girl on top of some filthy disgusting guy, and I was fucking him. Senselessly. The worst part was the never-ending moans and high pitched enjoying shrieks.

But no, that couldn't be me. Not at all. I looked at Ash, shaking my head. Tears glistening in my eyes.

"Ash, that isn't me." I said the words, feeling the untruthable quality to them. I gulped. Finally, Ash skipped to the end where it had my name in shiny lights.

"WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK MISS EMMA GILBERT FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS MOVIE WITH US… SEXUAL GODDESS…"

Deep spit started taking form in my mouth. My own disgustance of my actions. I wanted to puke.

Suddenly all the terrible possibilities corroded my mind. Pregnancy. AIDS. It was all possible now.

My panicked frenzy looked forth at Ash, begging him not to hate me. I knew he would already judge me. Everyone would.

"I…"

"Oh, but don't worry. I'm pretty sure there are millions of blonde Emma Gilberts in the world. So if you ever decide to apply." Ash was trying. He was clearly wanting me to think all he had left for me now was hate and bitter disgustance.

Suddenly the total unfairness of it all rushed over me. The hypocritical of my thoughts. But I was not a slut. He couldn't call me that. I was just a girl who ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. I had only had sex two times other than that time. Ash and Maxxence. It was the last night before we left to travel the world with Ash. And then Maxxie and I had been casually doing that for the last five months.

Suddenly realization hit me. How had I become this huge of a whore. Of a spoiled rich girl. Why had I constantly been ignoring all of Cleo and Rikki's pleas for me to come and visit, and even more recently their phone calls and texts. Why, on most nights, would I sneak out to night clubs, get infamously drunk, and end up wounded sleeping on the streets, somehow sneaking back in before my parents noticed. I was ruining my life. Completely. And not one person could help me.

"Ash, I need to leave." I said, tears crumbling from my eyes. "I'm sorry." I mumble as I run through the room, eyes searching for a sanctuary to rest. But my brother is out with his girlfriend, Luna. My Mom and Dad are too busy to care nowadays. And Maxxie… he's gone away to somewhere in the UK. As well as the Twins have to meet their new step-mother tonight. Ugh.

I ramble through the room. The whole restaurant seems to hover their eyes over me; Emma Gilbert, a misguided stupid Australian slutty girl.

Suddenly I trip right in front of a Japanese family. The girl with detestable bangs scowls at me. "あなたが行くことである場合は、見守ってください bitch!"

My phone buzzes. I gulp, and take deep breathes. I shudder past the foreign girl (as well as me) and stumble into the bathroom.

I stare at my tanned face and wonder how the hell I got here; so frazzled, so scared, so alone. I finally flip my phone open to stop the repetition of 90210's opening theme.

"Hello?" I ask, trying to appear pleasant.

"Emma? Oh thank God you answered!" Rikki's voice shrieks vibrantly. She seems worried, and scared. Oh please, fuck no, she couldn't have seen the video too, could she?

"Rikki, what's wrong?" I ask in a cool nonchalant voice.

"You need to get your ass here right now. Cleo….She…Something…." Wheezing. Rikki can't talk right. This is bad. Rikki was always saying I overreact. She was clearly going through hysteria. Something terrible, something atrocious must have happened.

"Rikki, slow down. What's going on?"

"Cleo tried to kill herself. She's in the hospital. She really needs you, Em."

The phone went blank.

I gulped, and suddenly gallons of disgusting green stuff trickled from my throat forcing itself out. And for a moment I just throbbed there puking, crying, and feeling sorry.

**A/N: Sorry it's a bit short. But most of my chapters are usually about 1500 words. Now, don't get startled. All of the girls (Emma, Cleo, Rikki, and Bella) will be in this. So don't fret. Please review. Its gives me the craziest motivation. We should all sign a pact that we will review every story we read! xoxo -zz**


	2. Losing Insanity As It Seems

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I know its only four, but to me, four reviews piling so quickly upon each other really inspires me. Anyways, here is the second chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

**Cleo's POV:**

_Flashback:_

_ I closed my eyes as I waited for silence, peace, the stopping of all the horrendous thoughts enclosing my head. But they wouldn't stop. They just kept flickering lights into my head._

_ Seeing Bella sob into the water, Rikki's strange disappearance three days before, the video of Emma, and then those eyes; the strange ambers eyes with a twist of insanity; that smile, the creepy evil smile._

_ When I opened them, Bella was standing there. We were in the moon poolroom. Me, soaked in water. Her standing there looking lost and confused._

_ "Bella…what just happened?" I asked. I couldn't remember. All I saw was a big blank of black. I had heard shrieks and giggles, then screams and cries. Now I was just floating in the water while Bella creased her brows and shook her head._

_ "Cleo…" Her eyes squirmed. "Your alright. I thought you had passed out or something. When the moon came over the entrance to the water…I thought….then you passed out…I was so scared."_

_ My memory fumbled in confusion. I looked up at the dark sky where the moon once hovered. What were we doing out here swimming on a Full Moon? Where was Rikki? Why couldn't I remember what happened moments before?_

_ What was Bella clutching so tightly in her hand?_

_ "Bella, what are you holding?" I asked. My voice was no longer filled with fake naïveté's. I wanted someone to explain what was going on._

_ "Um…nothing." She quickly balled it up into her fist, and shoved it into her dress's pocket. She smiled at me, full of care, or at least what I believed was sincere. "Cleo, I think we need to get you out of here. Your moonstruck, aren't you?"_

_ "No." I answered. I wasn't. The last thing I remembered was going to Will's boat shack, with Bella, and Rikki. We were hiding from the Full Moon, it used to have an effect on us to make us go crazy, since we were mermaids. But not anymore._

_ "Where's Rikki and Will?" I asked._

_ "Waiting. For you." Bella smiled. "Come on. They've got a boat waiting for us." Something was eerie. But Bella was my best friend so I trusted her. She controlled the moon pool water to pick itself up and crumble in mid-air. She held out her hand for me to hold, and pulled me up._

_ Somehow I dried, and we walked out onto Mako's jungle. As she said, Rikki and Will were waiting for us. They swallowed me in a blanket, and somehow with the sound of water moving, and the full moon above, I fell back asleep._

My eyes opened. Everything was fuzzy at first, and very white. Then, things became clearer. Rikki's worried face in front of me. Her face was red, and her tangles of blond fell over her face. She gasped when she saw I was awake.

"Cleo!" She was crying. Rikki Chadwick was crying because of me.

That's when I realized where we were. A hospital room.

And I was sore. Things hurt. My eyes, my head, and my wrist.

"What happened?" I hated this guttered feeling of confusion. Why couldn't it just go away? Why couldn't I remember?

I was Cleo Sertori. I lived in Australia, on the Gold Coast. Five years ago, Emma, Rikki, and I found ourselves on the mysterious Mako Island. The next day we found out we were mermaids. Then Emma moved away. Bella came, and we found out she was a mermaid. Bella, Rikki, and I became the best of friends. That Full Moon Night we were going to lounge around at Will's boat shack. Until something happened.

"…" Rikki scoffed and looked at the incoming nurse that was rushing around the room. When she saw I was awake, she breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Then she whispered something to Rikki.

"No, no. Cleo's dad and step-mum are in Aruba for their Anniversary. Yes, the doctors have alerted them, and they'll be here as soon as they can." Rikki sighed, annoyed.

"Now, please. Can we have some privacy?" The nurse pursed her lips, but nodded, and left the room.

Rikki hugged me first, when we were alone. I was surprised. This was so unlike Rikki, I didn't know what to do.

"Do you remember anything about what happened?" She asked me in a half-scared whisper. I shook my head.

"You went moonstruck. I have no idea how the hell it happened, but the Moon was doing weird stuff to you. You took off for Mako Island, and we found you there… Remember that?"

Suddenly, memory possessed me. Or a bit anyway. The weird noises and visions, then seeing Bella standing there; so ghostlike with her dirty blond hair and her light green eyes, in that long white dress. With the moon just had hovering above me. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for more. But none came.

I nodded. "Then I fell asleep on the ride back."

Rikki didn't answer. She was staring at my wrist. I gulped, and I looked there too, and was flabbergasted. Two large cuts were engraved. Two solid letters. B.C.

"Rikki, I didn't do that!" I shrieked, not wanting to look at it. "The moon….why would it do this? I…would never cut my…" I couldn't talk anymore.

"What happened to me?" I asked quietly.

Rikki took a deep breath. "We found you…at the roof of Zane's Café, near the edge…with a knife… You had that engraved in your skin. We thought you were going to kill yourself, so we called 911."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The Full Moon wasn't even doing this like it used to. And even when it had done crazy things, it would never physically hurt us like this…ever.

"Where is Bella and Will?" I asked suddenly.

I couldn't expect my boyfriend Lewis to come rushing over from California. He was in this huge Scientific College in the States. I went to College with Bella at University of Queensland. And Rikki, she did her own thing. Will went to a place specifically designed to help him train, not too much, of course. He still had time for Bella, and us. I had no idea what Emma was doing out exploring the world.

Rikki went solemn. "Once Bella saw you on the roof, she went mad. She started crying and sputtering, and she couldn't take it. After Will and I got you to the Hospital, Will went to try and find her."

"Has he found her?" I asked, full of worry. Rikki shook her head no.

"He hasn't called me if he has." She added with a glint of hope.

I nodded.

"I also called Emma and Lewis. Lewis says he's defiantly going to try and get a flight to come visit you. Emma…I called her. I don't know if she's coming." Rikki said, suddenly hushed.

"My parents are going to worry about me." I realized. "They'll think I went insane. That I'm crazy. But I'm not. Its just the Moon! I…"

"I know. We're going to try and come up with a story."

"You mean a lie?" I asked. I was so sick of lying to everyone. I loved being a mermaid, but it had its disadvantages. I had never believed it would have gone this far, into people thinking I was physco. That I was mental.

I could never live this down. Why had the Moon even done this? And to me? Don't think that. You wouldn't wish this on any of your best friends, I told myself. But maybe…No. I closed my eyes and took a breath.

Rikki coughed. "Yeah. Everyone lies."

I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to tell her that maybe she was too used to lying. She lied about being a mermaid. She had lied when she had gotten with Zane. She lied again about being with Zane. And then she lied about where she lived. And just three days ago, she had left the Gold Coast, telling no one where she had gone. It frightened me. I felt like in some ways, no one ever knew Rikki at all.

But I just sighed. My eyes peeped at the scratches again. B and C. So clearly written on my wrist, even with the clear bandage wrapped around.

Nothing seemed right. I missed Lewis more than anything. I missed his kisses, his stupid goofy science talk, and his wonderful sparkle in his eyes that told me he loved me. That he liked me most of all than anybody else in the world. That he would do anything for a smile upon my face.

And then Emma. Why wasn't she answering any of our texts and calls and messages? She appeared so different now, at least seen on Facebook. She had gotten skinnier, and that was bad, since she always had a slender fit swimmer's body. Her hair had gotten lighter, but the big thing was her style. The Emma I knew would never have worn such bold and low-cut dresses. The Emma I knew wouldn't have gotten spray tans either. And the fact that she had new friends and a boyfriend had always saddened me.

And why was the Moon so explicit in making my life Hell? Why did this happen to me? Why did I feel like I was surrounded by lies? And why those two letters, B.C.?

"Rikki," I asked quietly. "Where were you three days ago?"

I looked at the place she was sitting so pertly, so relieved I was okay, and got shocked. Any sign of Rikki Chadwick was gone.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and I sincerely hope you review. I'm really excited to keep writing more, and hope you feel the same about reading. xoxo -zz**


	3. It's Been A Very Dark Night

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: **

**Rikki's POV:**

I walked down the dark alley. The full moon still hovered in the nighttime sky casting it's bright glare on the ocean's relaxed waves. All of tonight's events were seething in me, boiling up inside, threatening to turn my life in shreds. I hated it. I hated this large secret I was being forced to keep.

Why had I ever done that? It was that one night, the night that was now causing my whole life to be threatened. And now I had to pay, for everything. I shivered just in thought.

Then that someone texted me, while I was shivering in the dark.

**UR LATE. GET HERE NOW OR I THINK U KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.**

I sighed. This was my punishment. My terrible icky punishment.

But Cleo almost killing herself was not part of the plan. The Moon was screwing things up, and the fact that those two initials were carved there, giving Cleo a reason to wonder why B and why C was terrible. I myself, had no fucking idea what those two letters meant. I was just doing what I had to do.

So Bella wouldn't ever find out… Because she couldn't. She could never know what Will and I had done that night….that lonely night, where I was desperate, where I was drunk, where I was sad, the night I had hooked up with my best friend's boyfriend.

Perhaps, after seeing Zane and Sophie sucking tongues, I had a right to randomly hook up with a random cute guy. But not Will.

_We had always been such great friends after he came to terms with knowing we were mermaids. But that night, he had comforted me, made me feel like I was still great; amazing even._

_ Then that one solid kiss. It just happened, hadn't it? My lips touched his for just a moment, and an awed expression appeared on his eyes, but curious, curious for what we could be, if only we allowed it._

_ Then all I had known was the sudden rush of exhilaration that enthralled me. He was holding me, like no one ever had before; not even Zane. Our kisses went in and out, trading spit; our tongues floating upon each other. A warm feeling of pleasantness passing through me. And then for some terrible reason; we did it._

_ We made love into the night. And when we woke up, it was morning again. Not just morning, but reality. We both promised we would never tell an utter soul about what had happened._

We didn't know that someone already knew. And she was angry. Angry for as hell for revenge.

I don't even know why I had had sex with him. A kiss should have been enough. But I had somehow ended up bawling his clothes in my hands and throwing them across the room. I had been a virgin. Why did I have such a sexual desire for my best friend's boyfriend, and not my own? I had loved Zane. Sometimes for a split moment I still do. I find an urge to touch him, and laugh at him, and hear him whisper sweet nothings into my ear. But that's over.

I shuddered, looking back at my phone. I stood there for a moment wondering if it was really worth all this just so Bella wouldn't know. But I knew. Bella loved Will. Will loved Bella. I was just the curious one-night hook up. The hook-up that if Bella knew about, she would kill me. She would be betrayed.

I tightened my grip on my black purse. I was wearing a short zebra print mini-dress. My face probably red from crying, and my hair tangled from being a mess. But I went off into the night.

It was strange. That Zane hadn't heard a thing at his Café, he still strangely had named after me. On certain nights, he had these huge parties, with alcohol, strippers, and a lot of shit going down.

Maybe sometimes I felt a little guilty. Zane had changed so much from the time I was with him to now. Sure, we were now grown ups, so we should we able to drink and watch porn if we wanted to (not that sometimes we didn't do that when teenagers. Come on this is the twenty-first century). But, seriously, strippers? What the fuck had happened to the Zane I once knew and loved?

My phone beeped again.

BTW: WE'RE MEETING BY UR LITTLE CAFÉ!

I groaned. Just as I was thinking about that.

I turned and ran off into the night. Somehow I arrived, sitting on one of the outdoor tables, tapping my finger on the chair. Why did I always have to wait for her to arrive?

Suddenly I heard a hushed giggle. "Oh, always the same aloof, discrete, Rikki, isn't it? I knew I never liked you. I just never would have guessed you would be such a slut in the future."

I grumbled. I had so many insults zigzagging through my head for this bitch I wanted to scream. I just remained quiet.

"So, do you have what I want?" I nodded. I reached in my purse and took out Cleo's silver locket. I would never tell this insane person that our lockets didn't resemble anything anymore; only a friendship long within the past.

"And what about these new crystals you seem to be commercializing?" Shit.

"You didn't ask for them." I say stubbornly, crossing my arms.

The girl in all black rolled her eyes. "Rikki, when I ask you to do something I expect your task to be done and excelled, not barely the limit. I have already helped you enough without including you in my revenge."

"Revenge? What are you going to do? I thought stealing stuff, and ordering me around would be enough."

"Oh, Rikki, you are much naiver than you look. Bossing you around doesn't give me any satisfaction. I have plans much bigger and higher than you. But…since you seem so content in helping me, you might not get delt in the battle. But if you are so judging of my simple need for revenge then…"

"Fine. What do you need?"

"I want Lewis to come here. And I think you know what I want with him." I gulped. She was sick. Sick and disturbed. That didn't mean she couldn't destroy my life.

I wanted to tell her that Lewis could never come; that his school was too important, but I knew he was coming to visit Cleo. I sighed in annoyance.

"Fine. But listen to me; your revenge does not have anything to do with Cleo, you hear? You can fuck with Lewis all you want, if he even lets you; but you can not do anything to Cleo. She's already too confused."

"Rikki, since when do you give me the orders? I will do whatever I see fit. You gave me that right a long time ago." She crossed her eyes and smiled. Eerily.

"And Lewis will be mine. And your little friend…well, she, she can just rot in Hell." Anger struck me.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? This happened three years ago! Lewis will never love you, and even if he would, it would never be the way he loves Cleo! Cleo is always going to be better than you. And Lewis is always going to pick her."

Silence filled the night. Until she started laughing. Terrible laugher throbbed in my ears.

"Aw, that is cute. You have such faith in your best friend's relationship with her boyfriend." Then she went quiet. "I happen to know Lewis has been a bit lonely, in that Big City College of his. Lots of hot girls. Many much better than Cleo." I squinted at her. I shook my head. Lewis, of all people, would never cheat. He's a science geek.

"And don't you wonder who Cleo's real first boyfriend was?" She said, then appeared to regret.

"It was Lewis." I answered automatically. The red-haired girl just smiled.

"Whatever you say, Rikki."

Then she grabbed the necklace and put it in her large bag that should not be even considered as a purse. I gasped when I saw the picture of Lewis and another girl. The girl's face, and hair, and outfit; all of it wasn't Cleo's. But the unredeemable eyes; they were x-ed out. Completely. She hated her.

"Since you have failed to bring me all of which I required for your task, I have a friend. A friend, I'm sure you know very well. My half-brother. He couldn't stop talking about how wonderful you were. I told him to shut up, but he just wouldn't until he got to see you again…and maybe a bit more. And, he also has friends." She giggled.

No. A plea of panic shifted through me. A month ago this bitch had made me give a blow job to her pathetic half brother of some sort. He was disgusting. I couldn't go through that again. I wouldn't.

A boy in a leather jacket and baggy shorts and a thuggish hat walked out from behind the bushes. I knew him. Had fucked him three times in that awful night. He smiled at me. In his left hand, he held a condom.

"I'm not giving your brother a shag." I said. Not again. This had nothing to do with her revenge; just about torturing me.

"Really?" Her amber eyes sliced within me. "I think you are. And since I could just tell everyone about your dirty little secret with your best friend's boyfriend. " My voice went weak. She couldn't hold this over me; not like this.

Not anymore.

"I don't care." I was shocked by my words. "Tell Bella, tell whoever you want. But without me you'll never be able to get revenge on who you want. Without me, you have no connections. Without me, your lost. So I would suggest, that you start listening to me for a moment."

She seemed shocked by my argument. But then, like no other; she smiled that dark evil smile.

"Rikki, you've already planned everything out. Now, not only could I tell everyone about your fling with Will, but now I can tell everyone about how you helped me; betrayed your other friend as well. Then the only friend you'd have left is your slutty best friend up in Paris. And she doesn't seem to want to talk to you anymore. You'd be all alone. I bet, not even Zane could look at you."

I gulped. Did she have a point? No! No! No! I was not going to do this… I didn't deserve this. Why did she have to blackmail me like this? Why was she so insane?

Why did Charlotte Watsford hate me so much? But I knew why. We had ruined her relationship with Lewis in her messed up mind; we had stripped away her mermaid powers, and we were the reason her mother shipped her off to a strict Boarding School. We were all her problems.

A tear slid down my face. I knew what I was going to have to do. I look at the terrible jack-ass smiling that perverted disturbed smile staring down at my boobs. I closed my eyes.

He took my arm and pulled me away from Charlotte, still clutching my purse carefully. But suddenly, it wasn't just Charlotte's brother touching me. I was surrounded by five guys. Five perverted disturbed guys. This was bad. This was really bad.

I heard glass break, and went in aghast when I saw a broken window into what used to be my own Café. This was Zane's. He would kill whoever-

I didn't have time to remember what I was thinking that moment. All I knew, was that the guys were pulling me into the Café. I felt someone kissing my neck, touching my boobs, and pulling the lower part of my body to them. I wanted to scream. I wanted to kick. I wanted to burn them like Hell. But I didn't. I just sat there and took it. This was my punishment for sleeping with Will. A punishment, I'd never be able to pay for.

**A/N: WOW! My favorite character, of course. Anyways, when I watched H2O, I never really liked Wikki, but they could have totally got with each other if H2O wasn't such a kids show. Well anyways, hope you enjoyed. Soon, lots of couples might be introduced and you'll know who I'm shipping. Hope I'm not giving TOO many secrets away. Please review!**


	4. Runaway From The Dark Twist Of Life

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Okay. Now the hard one: Bella. IDK if its just me but when writing the Cleo chapter, I felt a strange irk to not trust Bella. :] And I'm writing. Lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you did the ones before. I have a weird thing about having each chapter be a different character.**

**Bella's POV:**

I was going fast; too fast. Dad's car was old and crappy, but it worked on getting as far away as I could from the Gold Coast. I wish I could have swam, but when I had started running away three hours ago; it had been 2 am. And the Moon was still out, haunting me.

The worst part was I felt sick thinking that the whole spectacle of the Moon and the Tentacle and possibly our mermaidness was in betrayal. Once I saw Cleo with those precise letters marked; I was eloped with guilt. Nothing else.

It was all my fault. And I needed to get away.

The sickness of everything had rushed upon me. I didn't deserve friends like Cleo and Rikki. I deserved to live in hiding; to never know such people; to cause them Hell and bad. Bad had so many reasons, but in my case it was clear; I was the Bad of their Mermaid Club.

The red light blared in front of me. I mumbled under my breath. "Shit." I really didn't know why. I was too far from reality for anyone to find me. My phone kept vibrating all night. All from will.

**? R U? PLZ ANSWER.**

**I'M WORRIED.**

**BELL, WHERE ? U?  
ANSWER! **

**NOW!**

But I hadn't responded to one message.

The road was dark, and the sky was now cloudy, so I couldn't see that guilty moon hovering above me. I felt alone; complete and utterly alone. But why should I feel lonely? I had brought this upon myself. I had listened to her. I had thought she could help me. But she couldn't. She knew nothing of any sorts about my mother. And now hell was about to break loose.

Suddenly, I swerved to the grass. I shrieked, and I sobbed. I cried my heart out, remembering when this had first started. I was at the mental rehabilitation therapy. She had also been in the room. And the moment she saw me; she smiled.

After being forced to a Military School, Charlotte Watsford had gone mad raging about mermaids, and the ones that had terrorized her. I didn't believe her of course. I wasn't a mermaid then. But when she saw me, and talked me into rooming with her, she precisely asked me why I had been sent here.

_I stared at her, wondering if she would be afraid of me; if she would hate me. But you eyes were understanding and helpful. I had to trust them. Anyways, she was the one blabbing about mermaids._

_ "I killed someone." I had whispered to her. Weirdly she didn't gasp, she didn't scream; she didn't seem to fear me at all. She just smiled._

_ "Bella, do you know me?" I looked at her filled with confusion. I shook my head._

_ She took my hand. "Bella, think back. Think hard. I was the girl in the sandbox." I gasped. I had played with a red-headed girl with amber eyes every single day of my childhood. It was the only time I didn't have to hear the shrieks of my Mum; the sobbing, and the chills when I thought of how disturbed she was; threatening my dad she would kill herself._

_ I started crying in front of Charlotte. She held me tightly. I had been fifteen then. The time where Cleo and Rikki were off with their perfect little Goodie Two Shoes bestie Emma, realizing the hang of the complicatedness of being a mermaid._

_ Charlotte was better than family. She was my one and only friend. The only friend who really knew who I was and would accept me._

_ For one year in the mental institution, we had been side by; best friends. All the time looking like we were getting "better", all the while she and I were planning the revenge of a lifetime. But when I had gotten to actually know Rikki and Cleo, things had got complicated. One time I was about to stop the whole revenge, part of me was wishing that part of me was gone._

_ Because it should have been. I shouldn't have been planning to kill someone. Not again._

I decided to stop at a McDonald's. I parked the car into an empty space. I was so glad they were open twenty-four-hours, then wasn't every fast food place.

Once I got inside, I hurried to the bathroom. For a moment, once seeing it was empty, I started sobbing. I hated this. How had I become this insane; this terrible? I had killed three people, and I knew someone planning to do the same to someone I really cared about.

I was not the sweet girl everyone always associated with Bella Hartley at all. I was really Bella. The insane twisted girl that had watched her mother slowly come face to face with death. The demented teenager who ended up killing the boy who raped her. The one who got obsessed and would fuck almost any guy she saw. The girl who when caught as a killer, was sent to that mental institution, and got even sicker. The one who became practically sisters with Charlotte. Charlotte was the one who told Bella about the moon pool in Ireland. I had promised she would do anything and everything to make sure Cleo Sertori and Rikki Chadwick (along with possibly Emma) would pay. Severely.

But now; all I wanted to do was run. Faraway. A place where no one knew me or could find me.

I smiled. I had stolen all of my dad's cash; well not all of it, but a pretty decent amount to get anywhere I really wanted. He was sad and mopy, and usually left his cash lying about in his room. It had been so easy, really.

And now I would use it for all I wanted. But the question was… Where did I want to go.

I giggle for a moment. This was going to be fun. I now had a destination. I just didn't realize that meant there was going to have to be a journey.

I stared up at the list of places. My eyes light when I saw the one I had planned. Las Vegas. Leaving at eight-thirty. I checked my watch on my wrist. It was now 6:43 am. I had an hour and a half to wait…

I got on the plane. I couldn't use my phone. I just sat there. People stared at me for a moment, then they went on; not knowing what a burden

I could be to them. Part of me still liked that I was so mysterious; that no one really knew me. Then I just got sad. Full of hopelessness and despair.

When we landed, I (with no actual luggage) pondered through the unfamiliar faces, and found myself staring at the Airport Girl doing something strange to the vending machine. I truly couldn't go anywhere officially. I left Dad's car in Australia.

"Hey." I said sweetly. She looked at me and smiled.

"Could you perhaps call me a cab or something?"

"Sure. Where to?" I thought for a moment then shivered in excitement.

"A bar. Any bar." She stared at me, as if wondering if I was old enough to even go to one. But she didn't say anything, she just obeyed and called.

Before I knew it; I was sitting there. Alone. The girl alone at the Bar. With no one to talk to.

The place was loud and full of laughter and drunken shrieks. Everyone seemed to be having a good time except me. A couple seemingly having oral sex by the window. Two girls dancing and laughing with each other. And then him.

A dark hair mysterious stud drinking out his sorrows.

I just sat there; with my perfect posture, not willing to drink a thing.

I had never gotten into that type of trouble. I had never smoked. I had never done any illegal drugs. And I had never had so much more than three sips of alcohol; which incredulously I had hated, and spit out.

What normal teenager hates alcohol, I thought bitterly. And if they did, why the hell did they choose to go to a bar when running away from…all their lies.

I shuddered.

"Hey, you must be new around here, right cutie?" I didn't move. This couldn't possibly be someone talking to me.

Hearing the word, cute, my heart hurt. I did miss Will. Even if I had lied to him about everything. Falling for him had never been a mistake.

I turned around to be face to face with the dark stud. He had a weird twisted sneer on his face, which made him look younger. And I realized he could possibly be my own age.

"Yeah. Just got here." I mumbled.

"Well you look familiar." I gulped and looked at him again. But no recognition flushed my eyes.

"You don't drink?" He asked, pondering down to the empty place in front of me.

"Tastes like shit…and I'm not of age." I whispered as the waitress toed near us.

He chuckled. "Me neither, but I would just guess you the type of girl who likes the fruity nothing real drinks, that they say gets you drunk after you have thirteen." I shrugged.

I wanted to do something. Something reckless.

I smiled at him for a moment. "Why are you here?" I asked, intrigued, never forgetting that feeling of the Cellphone in my pocket becoming heavier and heavier.

"Boredom. Loneliness. Misery. The normal." He answered swiftly, licking his lips.

I felt the tight pull of naughtiness, and I giggled.

"I know what I could do to make you very not miserable. It would cure boredom as well. As long as you have a place we can go to." I felt adrenaline hit me.

He smiled at me. "I would love to…but I don't even know your name, and if my roommate was there; he would so be sickened out. He believes in all this shit like no sex before marriage, and also he's a huge geek."

I laughed. I remembered the time where I thought sex was not acceptable before marriage.

"I'm Bella. And for what we would do, I would need to know your name." I laughed. He seemed to be considering this.

"Okay, Miss Bella. I would love to be your escort for your very first thrill in Las Vegas." I felt the vibrating of my phone but chose to ignore it. Maybe I'd dump the thing in a trashcan soon.

The mysterious-looking dark stud took my hand and we galloped into the night, laughing, kissing, and touching. It was finally when we got to a tiny motel room, I realized my troubles were far from gone.

I didn't notice him at first. He was slumped over in his desk; his eyes glued to a computer screen as always.

The dark stud and I were obliviously getting it on, carrying it upon the bed, to the windows, to the wall, and ect. I felt the same feeling of fear I had years ago when that jerk-ass had….done those things to me. But I felt more in control for once. But that didn't help my longing heart repeatedly telling me that this dark stud was not ever going to be my true love, Will.

Then I heard the blond boy's scream. And I knew I had stumbled into Hell's whole.

"Bella!" He screamed.

My eyes flamed at him. Lewis McCartney. He was standing right in front of me with wide eyes.

I thought I had escaped everyone and anyone from my past. But this was not true. It seemed no matter how far I ran, the past would still catch up with me.

**A/N: So, how do you feel? Scared, threatened, lonely? Anyways, sorry I took so long to update, I honestly wrote the next two chapters, and then got really busy, so I forgot about the story completely. But I have a challenge (and no, this is not blackmail). I would like to have AT LEAST 10 reviews for this chapter, cause I seriously worked my butt off (PG-13, haha), so please be genuine and review for the same time and effort I, you, and every writer puts into their stories. –zz.**


	5. Clue To The New World

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story… Anywhoo, Emma's POV again…Uh, this is getting useless, so just read the story and REVIEW. (is that annoying?} oh, well.**

**Emma's POV:**

I eyed the airport woman in front of me suspiciously. She was holding a very large and conspicuous bag that she seemed to be claiming as her purse. When she told the man giving people tickets she would be leaving for America I smiled in relief.

The lady moved and it was my turn. I sighed and looked at the boy. He was cute and looked too young to be working at an airport. My mind fussed at myself. My old best friend was in the Hospital because she tried to kill herself and all I was thinking about was cute boys? Sicko, I cursed myself, thinking silently to the horrid, horrid, video.

I looked up at his smiling face and clutched my suitcase tighter. "Australia, please. The Gold Coast."

Once Rikki had called me, and after my escape to the bathroom, I had called my Mum. I told her that I wanted to visit Cleo and Rikki (which was only part lie), and she was strangely delighted. I had gotten all of my things in the course of five suitcases, and now I sat on the planc, chewing gum profusely, to stop the ear popping.

Time would go fast now. I knew that seeing my friends would be strange. But maybe that wasn't the whole reason I was leaving France. I needed to get out of my lifestyle that was a few nights ago. I wanted to go back to being old me; the one who only ever cared about her best friends, family, and being the nice sweet girl that I really was.

It was evenly eleven am now. Tons of familiar yet unfamiliar faces pondered upon me. This was my homeland. It was light out, as I traveled with my blue bags, and awaited on the bench waiting for my taxi. It was strange to think I wasn't going to be riding in limos any time soon.

When my Taxi got there, I told the man that I wanted to go to the Juicenet Café. He stared at me as if I was insane. I blushed.

"There is no Juicenet Café, hun." He replied seriously.

"Um, excuse me? There is, its right near the docks."

"Um, no. It went out of business. I know the area. Its now a Bar called Rikki's."

Whaaa? My eyebrows arched in confusion. Maybe I should have called Rikki, herself, before I took on this mission of old-habits. Also, I should go straight to…well wherever my friends were. And why the hell was the Juice Bar now named Rikki's. Did she own it? It wasn't possible.

"Um…then I'll go there." I told him mumbling. The car rumbled past familiar sightings, like my old home. And then finally we arrived at a Café with police cars scrabbling around it.

The taxi driver looked at me. "Um…stay here. I'll come back, probably. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, you can leave."

I rushed forward, past all the glowing lights, and stern looks, and even a screaming police women telling me I couldn't be here.

That's when I saw him. Zane Bennett. Doing his favorite pastime. Complaining and screaming at someone.

"What do you mean the bitch keeps sputtering? Can't she just tell you what the fuck she was doing breaking in here?" Woah. Maybe Zane was only nice when he was with Rikki.

"No, Mr. Bennett. It seems as if she has been badly hurt. We don't believe she broke in, but was taken hostage." The police woman replied calmly.

Zane stood there, looking as if he was in a dispute with himself. I watched him mumble something with the words fucking, bloke, and asses. Then he smiled at the woman. "Can I see this girl, myself?"

She sighed. "Yes, but you can not interrupt the investigation. We think she might have been raped." My eyes fluttered, and Zane stopped silent for a moment.

"Okay." Then he turned and saw me.

"Emma, what the fuck are you doing here? And…"

"I… I'm here to visit Cleo. And Rikki." I added, only half-lying. I hope Rikki hadn't told him too much about the last couple months.

"Oh." He replied. "Why are you here?"

I looked around realizing he was right. Why was I here?

"What happened?" I answered by question.

"Someone broke in last night. The whole place is trashed. And all they left behind is a stranded girl who…well I don't know."

"Oh my god…" I looked at him. "Wait, why is the Juice Bar called Rikki's?" He looked at me incredulously, like I was the ridiculous weird girl that wasn't making any sense.

"Wow, you really went off into a different world…" He mumbled. For a split moment I thought I saw a hint of knowing in him. Did he know about my…porn video? And if so, had he told Rikki and Cleo? Did Rikki own this place with Zane? Where was Cleo? Why did I have to be so clueless?

"My dad bought the place. Without you and Ash, it collapsed. Its my Café now." He muttered. "But now everything's fucked up." He added bitterly.

I looked down. This place was more chaotic than I had remembered.

"Yeah. Did you hear about Cleo?" I asked, wondering if I should have. Maybe he didn't care. I mean honestly, it appeared the only person he'd ever really cared about was Rikki, although he took slight interest in us, he probably pretended to feel bad about it for Rikki, but really couldn't care less.

"What happened?"

I was shocked he didn't know. "She's in the hospital. Rikki told me she tried to kill herself."

"What? Cleo… That's…"

"Terrible."

He nodded silently in agreement.

"Well I should be going then…" I looked at him waiting for him to say something but he didn't. I felt out of the loop. Exactly what had happened after I left? And was I glad I missed it?

"Emma…You know that… Well, Rikki and I broke up…" Somehow I wasn't awed in surprise, but I felt dull, and bad, and bitter. Not that I'd ever admit, but something about Rikki and Zane always intrigued me. The most unexpected couple ever.

"Oh. So who's Café is this?" I asked. I felt completely stupid for showing no compassion. I had never been exactly rooting for them.

"This Club…is mine. I had it closed last night though…for reasons." My head was starting to hurt from all the things I didn't understand.

"Well…Zane, do you…" I sighed, not knowing what to say. "Do you want me to leave…or…?"

He shrugged. "Stay. Leave. Its all the same to me."

"Okay." I looked at the darkened version of the Juice Bar that was now a Nightclub named my best friend's name.

I was going to offer to come with him to see who the girl was when he just walked away. I bit my lip. I found myself sitting on the ground, hunched, with arms protecting me. Its not until the police woman asks me if I need something. I look over and see the Taxi is no longer there, so I tell her I need a ride to the Hospital.

It was terrible. I didn't like seeing an unconscious Cleo, and hear the sharp beats of her heart beating back and forth, as if at any moment, she would stop breathing and die. I also didn't like that they forced her to wear a hospital gown. She always had been very pretty, and her girly style was being put to mayhem with blue dots on a white blanket they turned into an outfit.

I almost stopped breathing myself when I saw the cuts engraved into her wrist. It was scary. To think that the Cleo I knew had done this to herself, it didn't seem right. Cleo was always the happy naïve one. What had happened?

"Hello?"

I shuddered and turned around to see a boy with a handsome face and two blue innocent eyes staring at me incredulously, curious, and careful.

"Who are you?" I asked, thinking how it would have been absolutely terrible if Cleo had cheated on Lewis. I would never let her live that down.

"I could ask the same to you." He seemed to be checking me out without one perverted glimpse within his eyes. I crossed my arms.

"I happen to be one of Cleo's best friends. She's never mentioned a hot guy with dirty blond hair and innocent eyes, that feels he's important enough to watch her as she sleeps in a Hospital Room."

"Well, she's never mentioned a blond pretty girl who looks a tad too skinny, and believes she's Cleo's best friend without being here for the last three years."

I look at him scornfully. "I'm Emma. She might have mentioned me…As her best friend until I moved away…?" He seemed foreign to English.

"Nope."

"Well then you must not really know Cleo." I added with a superior feeling empowering me.

"Or you must have been way too busy to never visit on breaks. I'm Will. Cleo's friend as well."

"Oh." I answered solemnly.

"I'm Will, Bella's boyfriend." He smiled at me, then frowned for a moment. "I saw you in pictures, just remembering now. You're the other mermaid, right?"

My blood ran cold. He knew about mermaids. That wasn't right. We had a big deal about telling our own boyfriends that we were mermaids, why would they tell just a lonesome friend?

"You know?"

He smiled. "Don't worry, I'm trustworthy."

Somehow I believed him.

"Who's Bella then?" Before he could answer with his shocked face I heard a shriek.

"Emma, is that you?"

"Cleo!" I rushed over and gave her a tremendous hug. She smiled at me, then went forlorn, realizing the only reason I had came was because I thought possibly she was dead.

"Emma, why….your here." She gasped and for a moment looked uncertain. "That's great." Why did that smile of her's seem so plastic?

I looked at Will, as Cleo surpassed a hug with him as well. Except his's seemed for genuine. More real.

"What the hell happened?" Will and I stared at each other, weirded out. We said the exact same thing.

Cleo sighed. And she told us the tale of a mermaid moonstruck and an angsty moon that just felt the urge to label her one of Australian's Most Crazy.

I didn't know what I should have been more angry about. The fact that Rikki and Cleo had lied to me or that there was a mermaid who wasn't me and thought that she was best friend's with Cleo and Rikki.

But I was hurt. No other word could describe me better. And I didn't know how I was supposed to react. All I knew was this Bella girl seemed sketchy. Who miraculously disappears right after their friend tries to kill herself?

Strangely, no one noticed this but me.

**A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! :} Haha, well I really enjoy writing this story so I would adore you if you took the time to send in a helpful review and possible predictions for the future. Happy Writing. zz.**


	6. A Tad Of Entanglement

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: So, here is Cleo's chapter. Thanks for all the sweet reviews. They meant a lot. Wow, I'm tingling in excitement. I love having very heretic and nothing-makes-sense plots. They're tragic. Be sure to review.**

**Cleo's POV:**

_Two versions of myself were staring at me. Face-to-face. The faces were the same, yet so different. The Angel of Myself was less dark skinned with my dark hair put into pig tails with an innocent smile on her face. The Demon of myself was more tanned than ever, and had the same flaming dark hair strewn down, completely straightened, and a tight slick and delicate darkest of black corset filling up her curves. The Angel wore a petty white min-dress, not showing even the slightest of any sign of adultery._

_ I didn't know why they were there; staring at me like that. The last thing I remembered was Will and Emma asking me if she wanted to go out for ice cream; the doctors would allow her. Then Will and Emma had been replaced. Who was in the form of who, I forgot. But I was scared of my own image twisted into strange humor. Especially the demon of my old skeletons._

_ "Well, well, well…Look what we have here. A broken and torn apart wreck at what used to be our ruler." The Angel said sadly. She took her hand to her brown eyes and wiped a tear away._

_ "What's so sad about this? Now we have freedom. We can make her go insane like never before. I can just see her switching sides of evil and good and becoming a total hopeless disaster." The Demon snickered frightfully._

_ "No." I whimpered. "What happened that I can't control you." The Angel and Devil stared at each other for the splittest second in pity of myself and then the Demon smiled easily. And the Angel looked at me with sharp anger._

_ The angel suddenly started to weep. She fell to the ground hiding her shedding tears and reckless sobs with her hands. The Demon screeched, and began to crumble apart. Each part of the badness of me broken and scattered across the Hospital Floor. The place was getting eerily darker. The only thing I could see now was the huge light forcing it's brightness into my eyes. Was I dying? I panicked, looking around. Trying to pinch myself was doing nothing._

_ Suddenly, I realized that the light was resembling a now crescent moon, now turning full. A girl now stood before it. She had dark skins, and her green eyes shone with a glint of mystery. She stared at me. I saw her mouth moving, but I couldn't understand. Why couldn't I understand? Then too many voices pounded within my head. The words; Sacrifice. Lies. Fear. _

_ "Nothing is what it appears." The girl was whispering into my ear. "Be careful who you trust. They are never what they seem." Then with a thud, darkness overcame me. _As well as worried voices, shrieking, of Dad and Sam.

"Is she awake?"

"I don't know. She just was a second ago. We…" Will.

"Cleo?" "Are you up?" "Honey, we've come to see how you are."

"What even happened?" Was the scowled voice of what seemed to be Sam. Where was Mum anyway?

My eyes flashed open, and for a moment I stared at them all, allowing to let them be creaped by my cynical smile. My head felt clear.

"Daddy!" He raced towards me and we were brought together in a hug. I felt tears from his face imprint on my cheek. Sam was wiping her eyes as well. Emma and Will stood in the back watching the family memory knowing there were many questions and mysteries to come.

"Yeah, like Sam said; What the fuck happened, and why would you want to kill yourself?" Shit. Kim. I glared at her, and sighed. Why was she here?

"Um…" I looked at Will and Emma begging silently for help.

"Oh, Kim, your sister has been very hurt. The questions will come later. Cleo needs her family right now. I promise you, sweetie, we're going to have the best therapists in town to understand what was going through your mind. But, what do you think triggered this?"

Dad seemed like he was reading a script he had read online to ask to your almost-killed-herself daughter. I scoffed.

Emma whispered something to Will. Will looked at her with disbelief, but was clearly following her orders. "Well, um" He looked apologetic to me, and continued "Me, Bella, and Rikki had planned a little…get-together, but Cleo never showed up. Then half past midnight-"

He was interrupted. Sam was glaring at him. "What were you even doing alone with those two girls? And did you actually not even care where Cleo was? She could have-"

Will ignored her after that moment and looked at my Dad. "She texted us, saying that…Um…" He was making this up. Everything. He was making up a lie to cover up our mermaid secret. For a moment, I wanted to tell them. I'd rather have them know about my mermaidness than think I was mental. I… Why was Emma doing this? Couldn't my family be trusted?

"She wanted to say Goodbye. We traced where she had texted from, and…she was on the roof of Rikki's Bar." He looked at the ground. "When we saw her, we immediately called 911."

Silence. Awkward deafening silence that felt like it would never go away.

"Cleo, sweetie, what happened?" Dad asked me. His eyes were those of a concerned yet terrified father frightened by what his daughter might say.

"I…" Tears were itching at my pupils. "I guess I couldn't take it any more. I'm sorry. I… I just have to tell you. We can't keep this secret anymore! The truth is, that, I-" I looked at Emma shaking her head frantically, and Will biting his lip.

"I missed Lewis. And Emma. I…couldn't bear it anymore. Um…" My brain felt like it had been turned off. "I'm sorry." I looked down.

Outside of my window, the world was continuing. And because of a secret I now wished to give up; my life would never be the same.

"What are we doing?" I ask in the most annoyed voice I could muster. We were in Will's car. He was driving, and Emma was sitting in the back. The whole entity was completely in the awkwardness of silence. Will kept checking his phone, which was probably illegal. And Emma kept looking down at her stomach.

"Where's Rikki?" Emma asked nervously.

Will shrugged. "She texted me last night."

I took a deep breath. "Will, is Bella back yet?" I felt completely crazy after I said that. Where had she gone? Why had she looked so spooked that night in the moon cavern?

Emma looked at us like we were crazy, and then the bomb weighed down on me. She didn't know who Bella was, I mean, is, I thought clumsily.

Will glanced away from the road in a moment of complete hopelessness. She glanced at me again and sighed; "She hasn't answered me, Cleo. I'm really worried. I think…"

"That you should tell me just what the Hell your talking about?" Emma asked then smiled fakely. "I agree."

"Oh, right. My girlfriend, Bella, she-" I shook my head wildly at Will. Apparently though he decided to ignore me. "She's a mermaid too. Her and Cleo and Rikki are best friends since you left."

It took Emma a long time to process this information. And when she did, she promptly replied "And this new best friend that totally replaced me just disappeared… right after Cleo supposedly tried to kill herself without any knowledge of remembering. I smell something, and it smells a bit fishy. Especially, since I haven't met the…girl." I had a feeling Emma was going to say something else but I stopped her.

"Em, Bella is the nicest person I've ever met! She's amazing, I know you would love her." I assured, then glanced at Will. "Weirdest thing's she's disappeared."

"So, both Rikki and Bella haven't called back?" Emma asked in disbelief. She shook her head. Will nodded strangely.

"Guys…" I glared at them, waiting for approval. "Please don't leave me, I mean, my sight…" I gulped. By each passing moment I was getting more and more fucked up. "First Bella left, and now we can't find Rikki. I'm really scared."

Suddenly they were both surrounding me, and I knew they were true friends. These people, oh how I was grateful to have them. I would die without my tw-three-four best friends to make sure I was safe and happy for most moments.

"Its okay, Cleo. I'm not going to leave you. Not again." Emma promised then glanced down again at her tummy. Will nodded his agreement, but I knew deep inside that helpful smile he was tingling with heartbreak unable to control himself. But like me, he was trying to stay strong. None of us knew how messed up the situation really was at that moment, but we knew one thing, or we thought we knew; we had to stick through this together.

"Can we stay here? I don't want to go back to the Hospital." My voice was low and hoarse and full of begging. Emma smiled. "We'll do what we can." She stole a look at Will, and he gulped.

And for a moment we sat there; together entangled in the same mystery we didn't really want to discover. But for better or for worse, strange obstacles had brought them to me. I didn't know where Bella and Rikki were. I didn't even remember the last conversation I had with my Mum. I didn't care that Dad and Kim would be worried. I didn't even bother to think why Emma had been ignoring us for the past three years. I just let it be.

And then a stumble of someone's feet into the bathroom and the sound of repugnant puking. Emma had ran into Will's Boat's Shed's Bathroom. Will and Emma had politely asked if I could get out for a bit. And after a lot of persuading, my Dad agreed it was best for me to be with my real friends for a bit. But now, Emma had shut the door, and after the long twisted crumble of vomit, Will and I heard her start to sob.

When Emma came back out, all was silent. She told us that she must have just had bad shrimp on the airplane flight, but I could tell she was hiding something. But I didn't ask. I was just grateful she was here.

Will suggested that we order pizza and watch horror movies. That must have been the most original and simplistic fun idea I had heard all of the month. I was just thanking God that we had a four-day weekend in College. I didn't know if I was going to go back tomorrow. But all throughout the movie I kept having side thoughts like "Rikki would have loved this part" or "Bella would be laughing her ass of at this". Somehow we rummaged through things to do through the dawn of day. We sang karaoke (No thoughts of Bella, yeah right), played Would You Rather, ate a lot, watched a lot, and avoided the mysterious situation where two of our best friends (or in Will's case, girlfriend) had disappeared to.

It was strange. Right about at 5:30, I was hurriedly flipping through bored Facebook status's. Then I heard that eerily annoying beep of an instant message. It was from Zane Bennett. Oh great. I thought.

**HEY. Rikki's Club. She wants to see you. Come, now. She's been hurt.**

I had told Will and Emma about this alarming situation the moment after my eyes had finished scanning it. I tried to reply to Zane but it alerted me he was now offline. I gulped. "Will, Emma! I know where Rikki is!"

"Really, cause we just found out where Bella is." Emma screeched with mischief, as if not knowing if she should be pleased or terrified.

Will's face went agape with shock, and he found himself looking at both my computer screen and his own phone screen, as if he couldn't decide which person he wanted to scramble to, making sure they were okay.

"You first." He glared at me. I felt intensified with pressure, which didn't make any sense. All I had to do was tell them what I knew.

"She's with Zane." I heard Will mutter what he was trying to conceal as a "Bastard". I would have smiled at his over-protectiveness if we were in a different situation. "He says she's been hurt." I swallowed and thrust my fists together. The one question pinned my mind. _Who hurt her?_ And was it the moon? _Had the moon taken Bella as well? _It had turned evil for all I knew.

"He didn't tell you anything else? That son of a-" Emma stopped Will.

"Why can't she text us? Did he tell you if it was serious? Why didn't you reply back?" She was ordering at me. I held my hands in innocence.

"He went offline." A sigh. Then that same deafening silence as Will and Emma stared at the message.

"So, where is Bella?" I asked meekly.

They looked at each other for a moment of complete angst and understanding of how terrible this was and how naïve I was being.

"Los Angeles. And she's in deep shit." Emma smiled proudly. As if knowing someone was in deep trouble that wasn't her was an accomplishment.

"Says who?" I wanted to prove Emma wrong and tell her all about how Bella had been a much better friend all these years when Emma had been too busy worried about traveling the world as a socialite and being just a tad of bitch, but I kept quiet.

"Lewis."

Oh, fuck.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this! I honestly love where this story is going within my mind. Sorry this chapter could be a bit of a bore. But its necessary to continue. What do you thinks going to happen? REVIEW about it! Do you think I'm a totally brilliant writer? REVIEW about it. Think I'm a really, really, really, crappy writer and you can't wait to flame me? REVIEW about it! Just wanna say your input of what you think about the characters? REVIEW about it.**

**BTW: Sorry about lots of cussing, buts its rated T for a reason. I'm not going to change it to M, because honestly its not that explicit, IMO. Read above to get yourself in the mood to review again.**


	7. A Love That'll Always Last

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: OKIE-DOKIE…Well thanks for the comments; they make me feel like a lovely ball of sunshine [most], and here is Rikki's chapter. And finally, lets give a hooray for ZIKKI.**

**Rikki's POV:**

"Are you going to tell me what happened now?" Zane's voice was deep and serious. I knew he wasn't playing. His eyes thick with concern. I tried to look anywhere but at them. Because I knew if I took one glance at his compassionate eyes, I'd start bawling, shrieking what was wrong with everything. And he'd feel the need to comfort me. And I didn't want to be comforted.

Last night had possibly been the worst night of my life. It would have been possible for me to endure the sick pain that took place when Charlotte's brother of some sorts…f…fuc….fucked me. Again. But not him and his friends. They liked pain too much. They didn't have any compassion, and the things they made me do… All so Bella would never know….

Zane saw the tears falling from my eyes, and sat down next to me.

I was a scrunched up mess on the floor of his Bar. My eyes bloodshot. My make-up in dishevels. My clothes ripped and torn. And bruises pondering almost every single touch of my body. I shivered. The tears splattered, but I was unable to say anything.

I screamed when he reached for my hand. "Don't touch me!" The silence projected after that. I looked around and realized how much had changed about the Café. I hadn't noticed any of this last night; the posters of hardcore thugs, and women…nude. What used to be the counter was now a bar with many drinks behind it. But I did remember one thing. The pole. It was used for pole dancers. They had made me…

I shrieked out in pain. I knew I was freaking the shit-load out of Zane. And he had no idea what to do. And I didn't know what I wanted him to do. The pain…They had had no right to touch me, to do those twisted disturbing disgusting… I spit. I spit hard out onto the floor. Zane's eyes were filled with horror as he just realized what Hell I had been through that night.

Fu…Fuc….Fucking Charlotte's brother and friends had nothing to do with my secret; nothing to do with what she wanted most of all. She had just implied torture, and she was going to get away with it. They all were, because I didn't want my poor precious secret of how I lost my virginity to my best friend's boyfriend.

The police had arrived after hearing multiple complaints about noise from neighbors of the…Café-Bar. They had found me shivering and clutching my bare skin in the back-Office, one I had used to partly-own. They knew I was hurt. But I wouldn't tell them what happened. It was as if my mouth had stopped being able to work. Not an utter word.

Then Zane had found me. He didn't know…exactly. But couldn't he guess? Couldn't he just see? Couldn't he sense my devastation, pain, anxiety, fear, and fright that had took place just a few hours ago?

He wanted to know what happened. I had been raped. I had stopped counting how many times after ten. They had made me dance for them, with the disgusting music flaming in the background, and then…then…the other disgusting stuff that came along with sex. The licking, sucking, moaning, and…fucking.

"Zane…" He seemed shocked I had said his name. I didn't like being aware he was seeing me like this. It was enough to have to go through this but to have your ex-boyfriend be able to look at you this way… "What happened? To this place? I mean, it used to be…"

"Ours." His smile was bitter-sweeted. "Now, its just mine. You know you were always the best thing about me." His sad voice was just making me feel worse and worse.

"But why pole-dancing? Why… Why couldn't you have been here tonight? Why did you have to cheat? Why did you stop paying attention to me? Why did I have to feel so vulnerable, I… I… I…fucked Will."

This was it. He was either going to hate me or still care about me. And I saw his eye's register some shock then returned the most placidness they could get back to.

"Aren't you going to say something?" I shrieked at him. But he just looked down.

"Rikki, its…Its fine. I just…I want to make sure…"

"That I'm okay? You think I'm ever going to be okay?" I fell upon the floor, sobbing to myself, holding myself; wanting to remain untouchable for the rest of eternity.

He lied down next to me. I didn't exactly like that, but I felt too weak; was too done with struggling to fight. I could sense he wanted to kiss me; perhaps on the cheek, or get as possibly as little as holding my hand. He wanted to show me I wasn't alone. But I was. No matter what. I had brought this upon myself.

"They…I think they raped me." Zane didn't look surprised. He looked pained. Like he wanted to kill the sick assholes that had done this to me.

Finally I let him touch me. He gently clasped my hand and held it. That's when I felt it. I wanted him to kiss me. And after that I wanted to fall asleep in his arms. I wanted…to hear him say that he still loved me. But I wouldn't.

"Do you want Cleo, and Bella here?"

"What? No! You can't tell anyone." I whispered harshly. If they found out; they would want to know everything. Their names. Why and How I had gotten to Zane's Club. And more. They would need to know exactly why I had been forced into the act. And that was because I was truthfully a slut who had…had…s…sex with her best friend's boyfriend.

"But you need to sue this guy. He needs to rot in Jail where he belongs. He needs to get his ass killed-"

"STOP!" I sat up again and sobbed into my arms.

"Just don't tell them, okay?" I begged in a harsh whisper. He stared down at his phone with regret. I closed my eyes.

"I just want… I just want to pretend this never happened." I shuddered within myself. I instantly wondered if Charlotte would still want me to do the insane tasks she had laid out for me.

"Where's my phone?" I cried even more. This wasn't right. I was Rikki Chadwick. I never cried in front of anyone; especially not Zane Bennett.

"Its right here." Zane raced to the table where I had been…last night, a lot.

He handed it to me. I turned it on and watched the worry of Will's messages. That made me smile. Then I saw one from Charlotte.

**They tld me to compliment U. GR8 JOB. Oh, & Srry about the company. My brother & his friends get soooo horny. But I'm sure you already knew that. ;]**

"What the fuck?" Shit, Zane had to be glancing at my text messages. I felt scared. Zane wouldn't be angry at me, would he? What the hell, Rikki? I thought to myself. I am Rikki Chadwick and he is Zane Bennett. He is utterly in love with you and would do anything for you.

"Charlotte was the cause of this? Her brother and… " Zane was at loss for words.

"Zane, we can't sue them. Not only will she tell everyone about Cleo, Bella, Emma and I being mermaids. But she has something on me. Something bad."

"It doesn't matter what it is. If you don't take justice, I will." For a moment, I wanted to smile at Zane's bravery; his wanting to take care of me and make me safe. But it wasn't his battle.

"You can't. This…everything that's happened… Its not your fight." Recognition took place forth on his face. He slowly and gently leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. My insides swooned. How could he still have that effect on me after three years?

"I'll never stop loving you, Rikki." I tried at a sincere smile.

"I know."

We both sat there absorbed into the moment. This moment where both of us were staring at each other like that terrible utter feeling of love. And I realized that maybe I wanted that feeling. For once I wanted to feel someone's love.

* * *

After that, I got cleaned up. I realized upon looking at the mirror I looked like the half-dead girl from the Rings movie. If I looked like that and Zane still wanted to be near me and even claimed he still loved me… Just a tiny thought. What had I been missing?

For some strange reason, he had tons of extra T-shirts in his back office. The whole place was a wreck as well. And I realized that was from me. The guy hadn't touched the room. But I didn't want to feel so out=in-the-open, and knowing where the extra key was, I got myself in.

I used this funny T-shirt with yellow stripes and a drawing of some guy smoking and trying to look cool as a dress. God knows why Zane had it. But I had made sure, asking him, that it wasn't Nate's.

It seemed there was a lot more stuff there than I remembered. Like a hair brush, toothpaste, a tooth brush [infected with Zane Bennett's DNA, but I chose to ignore that], and a steaming hot shower. Well I knew that was there. I just never believed it would come in handy.

I would have just about died if Zane had believed I wasn't capable after this traumatic experience to take a shower, and came in with me, but I hated being alone. I hated staring down at my bruises, my privates, and think about what those bastards did to me.

After I was all clean and feeling fresh, I walked into the new Café. It was different as ever, but it was Zane, I supposed. A squelch shuddered inside of me as yet again I glanced at the motorbike posters, and then…then…the strippers.

With a glare at Zane, I became happier though. There he sat with a huge Red-Robin-like cheeseburger with tomatoes, lettuce, and my favorite bacon. I beamed. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now.

I raced over to the burger and dislodged it into my mouth. Zane chuckled.

"How did you know that wasn't for me?" He asked watching me gulp the many ounces of fat down.

"Because you love me." I answered with a giggle, then a gleaming smile.

And he liked that, I could tell. He wanted to see me smile, even at his expense. Even with a huge trust fund, a hardcore Club, and a reputation of hate, Zane was still Zane. But he wasn't. We had both matured. And if we really wanted to; we could have possibly still be in love.

* * *

I don't exactly know what the Hell got into me. But after I had completely diminished that burger, I had felt an urge to be reckless. Hell, I don't know why Zane allowed this. But I knew he just wanted me to be happy and perhaps even feel a need to thank him. And perhaps I should have.

But I basically forced him to Open the Café up and invite every single freak he knew [which knowing Zane, is a lot], after he told me he had alerted Cleo about my being here [and forced Nate into buying me some um…personal stuff, aka bra and underwear…since my other ones had been ripped…Oh lordy, I couldn't wait to be embarrassed by that train wreck].

And the party had begun. It was amazing. The fact that this was just a normal night in Zane's life had me questioning what stuff he actually got up to. There were at least eighty people screaming and dancing, otherwise known as partying, as the music blared. Zane had told me that he would not use the hired strippers for that night, but I had argued it into him saying that Nothing should be different.

So. Zane and Rikki. Rikki and Zane. We were moving around through the crowd, dancing, shrieking, drinking. And I was happy.

Until that fat guy shoved his meaty little grubs upon my chest, and tried to get me drunk enough to dance with him.

The night ended with a boom. Zane beat the guy up, and after that politely asked him to never come to the Night Club ever again. That was my Zane.

* * *

It was too bad that I had friends that cared about me. I knew from checking the many voicemails and text messages that Cleo, Will, and strangely Emma. [Apparently, Bella still hadn't been found]. They had come to the Nightclub and demanded they be allowed in. I told Zane to tell the Guard he should put them on a waiting list and that we would get back to them tomorrow. And we would.

Zane and I fell asleep on the Pool Table. [Thank God that was still there]. Weirdly I didn't care at all that his arms were planted around me, and that I was lying my head on his chest, hearing the beating of his heart. He felt safe. Safe and lovely. And perfect.

It was the insane screaming's of Cleo, Emma, and Will that woke us up.

Zane and I both shuddered out of our happy dreams, and stared at the window where Emma was screaming some words that might as well have been French. Will looked angry as he always did when seeing Zane. And Cleo…Wait was that hideous girl Cleo? A fake blonde wig was attached to Cleo's skull. Her dark skin, brown eyes, and sweet smile not matching the cheeriness of the wig.

After a look of fear at Zane; he let them in. I was frightened at their grimacing racing to hug me. For a moment I felt completely disgusted to have someone touch me. But I felt the compassion and love they held in my life when I looked in their eyes. They were worried. And they loved me. Even Will.

"Rikki, we heard about what happened." Cleo was crying.

Emma hugged me another time. She was a total mess as well.

"We all agreed that we're going to help you in every single way how. If you'll let us." Emma whispered. She looked sorry that she hadn't been there these last years. And suddenly I forgave her.

Will stared at me long and hard; as if he was trying to work out if he should believe his mind, his heart, or his eyes.

"I just have a question. How is partying at a crazy Nightclub owned by your ex-boyfriend, with a bunch of alcohol and strippers, good treatment for a rape victim?"

Ouch. I realized how much his comment was stinging in the air. He had a point. But even though he was staring at me. I knew he was just angry at Zane. He was always angry at Zane. Will thought he was a complete asshole. But of course, nobody but me knew the real Zane. But the anger of how he had said the words _rape victim _took hold of me. I wasn't exactly as victim-ish as he made me out to be. I had just been trying to protect our secret. Hate invested inside of me. This was all Will's fault! If he hadn't…

That's when I realized the tears were slipping from my eyes. Yet, again, I was having another traumatic episode.

Zane and Will were now staring at each other with their grouchy faces; good and ready to beat each other up.

"Will, I just…didn't want everyone acting like I was some fragile broken doll. It wasn't Zane's idea. It was mine." This seemed to make Will a bit less ready to pounce.

I chose to project my attention elsewhere. Like why the fuck was Cleo wearing a wig?

"Cleo! What is that ugly yellow thing on your head?" Cleo started laughing for a moment, then turned stoic, like she was full of turmoil.

"Well, actually, um… I guess I'm going to go off the rails for now on. Cause I'm running away today. So are Emma, and Will. So are you…probably. Maybe even Zane, if he decides he can't stand being without you as much as I think he will."

"What is going through your mind, Cleo?" My first thought; She must still be traumatized by the Moon's Effect On Her. But then that was a bit hypocritical.

"We're going to LA, Rikki."

* * *

It turned out we were. All five of us. Lewis had sent urgent messages about Bella turning up at his Hotel on his Spring Break in LA. Him and his roommate had been forced to call security to drug her once she apparently went off in a mad dash. She was now resting calmly in their room.

Cleo was officially off the rails as she said. She was going to completely change her features and turn into a [I had talked her out of the blonde-ewness] a girl named Elizabeth with short black hair. She was supposedly the toughest of us all [sarcasm] since she was running away from the Hospital's accusation of her mental illness. [Which she clearly didn't have].

All throughout packing for this huge leave, I got the strange inkling that it was going to be tremendously hard for me to stop Zane and Will whacking their own guts out of each other.

It never occurred to me what we would actually be doing once we got there. Maybe we all just wanted to believe [excluding Emma] that Bella would return to her girly sweet self once she saw us. Damn, were we wrong.

On the plane they were kindly [or not so kindly] going to ask us to turn our phones off. So right before we were about to go on, I checked my phone.

1 NEW MESSAGE. **LA, here we come.** FROM: Charlotte Watsford.

_LA, here we come._

**A/N: Wow. This chapter could have been split, but since I have time off school I decided to live a little and also to get down to business. The setting of the story will change a bit. Something very disturbing for some readers [well, Hell, its disturbing for ME to write] is going to happen eventually. I'm happy to say I finally finished the entire outline for this story, and I'm really excited to bring it to your computer screens. IMO: Its very epic. But what's your opinion? Review.**


	8. I Did It For Fate, For Our Fate

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: So, leaving for LA, is a HUGE setting change. And I feel as if your now leaving for a different type of atmosphere in this story. It might feel sketchy; it might feel mysterious. But I finally have the ending planned out, and you little readers [or big] are in for many shocking twists. But review, cause that is the best creative inspiration you can give me. I would give special shout outs but you guys know who you are.**

** Bella's POV:**

I woke up to the thundering pound of my scared, dark, hole of a heart. I felt flustered, and very hurt. My head was pounding; and my heart thumping it's beats faster and faster as I panicked more and more. I had been hit. Punched in the head. By…Lewis, of all people.

_Once Lewis had seen me; I shut down. I wouldn't talk to neither him or the Dark Stud from the Bar named Drake. I just let myself fall to the ground and let tears escape through my eyes into my white dress. _

_ I had heard they're voices decide they would call Will [Clearly Drake didn't know who he was, but I could see he thought Lewis was the smartest geek he'd ever met; so there was trust]. And get him to take me home. I knew there was deep worried muffled into Lewis's voice. He couldn't understand why I was so crazy all of a sudden. Only it wasn't all of a sudden. I had been planning this for years. But now, flashes of regret were stealing away at me._

_ And then I had slowly crept away to find Drake's wallet armed with a hand knife. I had sealed it away in the pocket of my dress. And I waited._

_ Lewis kept asking me how I'd got here and why I'd come here. Basically what I was running away from. I couldn't admit it. Admit that I was crazy and had invested in an evil plot to…destroy all who cared about him just so my old friend from the Looney Boon could have her desires with him fulfilled._

_ And then finally, when they decided to get food for me, I checked my phone. The solid text message putting the scheme into action._

_**GET RID OF LEWIS'S MATES. Thanks Bells –Your sister, Charlotte…**_

___Then they came back. And I threw the knife upon Drake. I scarred his neck. A thin line of scarlet blood dripped oozing down upon the white bed. He cried in agony. I smiled a dark sweet smile, and was about to sear his head, when I felt a thunderous amount of weight hit the back of my head, and I fell._

_ The white pale hands gagged me, and pulled me upon a chair. I felt my hands being scrunched into a knot. It wasn't as if Lewis had knocked me out. After that, I had chosen to close my eyes, and fall asleep._

But now I was awake. And I could hear Lewis talking into his phone.

"No, baby. Its not safe for you to come over. I love you too, Spike. But she's not going to hurt me… Well, just remember, that I'd give the world to you if I could. Kay, love you bye."

_Spike?_ That was a name very un-Cleo-ish. As well, as a twist in Charlotte's plan of terror. Lewis turned to see me staring at him intently, with that strange appeal of dark humor that I was threatening him with.

"I've got you food." He was hesitant. And I knew. Deep down, thumping in his vein, was cold hard fear. He was afraid of me. And it wasn't like he shouldn't be. I could destroy him. He knew it. But he also knew I wouldn't. Because…in his hand was my phone. The one with many texts from Charlotte.

"Not hungry." I muttered with a slip of a smile. Then I pointed to the other phone in his hand. "Who might that be?"

He ignored me. "Bella, what happened to you? You can't honestly tell me your whole friendship with Cleo and Rikki was all lies? Just because you knew Charlotte?"

"Lewis, I didn't just know Charlotte! She was my best friend! And you shouldn't be talking about betrayal! What about Cleo, Lewis? She's in love with you!"

This caused him to go silent. "See…you care. You care about Cleo! I know you care about them both. You can get Charlotte locked in a mental institution. She isn't your real friend. She's just using you!" He went on, but I couldn't listen anymore.

"SHUT UP!" I shrieked a high pitch scream that shattered the room. I looked around wondering where Drake was. He was so cute. "Lewis…I am sorry. But…Charlotte's…She's out of my control. She'll get what she wants. She always does in the end."

And with a shudder, Lewis turned on the TV and we both stared at the screen. Him in worry. Me smiling eerily. He had no idea what was to come.

. . .

In those thirty minutes where our eyes wandered upon careless sitcoms. It turned out they had gotten pizza from a Café a few blocks from the Hotel. I cautiously devoured it. We kept glancing at each other. He knew I was dangerous. And the only sane part of me was aware I was crazy.

"Bella…I think… I think you should see something…" I turned to him with a smirk.

"Will…he…He recorded a video for you right before they boarded on the plane. I think you should see it." He gulped and shoved his laptop in front of my face, after turning the TV off.

He sat there. Waiting for me to press play and watch Will's lips move.

_Will. _I love him. That is possibly the only truth I have left in my life

Will's solemn face was staring into the soles of my eyes. He looked bitter; not only that, but heartbroken. Torn apart, unable to believe that I had turned into this freak show of a human. He was disappointed in me. He possibly hated me. I couldn't deal with that.

"Bella…Hey. Its me. Will. But you can see that, can't you?"

"I…I wanted to give you this message because no matter what Lewis is rambling about…I…I…still love you. But Bells, how can you say that your friendship with Rikki and Cleo is all lies? Does that mean…that your love for me isn't real either?"

Tears slid from his eyes. Tears evolved from my eyes as well.

"Whoever this Charlotte girl is…She can't come between us. You can't change the undeniable feelings I have for you. And I just can't believe…that everything. Everything that we've been doing; feeling; that its fake. If it is…than I never knew you at all."

Lewis glanced at my pained face, and slowly touched my hand. I glanced at him. He smiled a sad bitter smile. And then I saw him leave the room. At the end giving me a hopeful glare.

"I believe the best in you. I don't believe that your crazy. Hell, neither does Rikki or Cleo, really; I think. Just remember; real or not; my love for you will never stop. I'll love you forever. I'm sorry if that's a problem."

The video went blank.

. . .

I had time after that; alone in the Hotel Suite to think over what Will said. His love for me…It was that strong. And perhaps he was right; I did care. Not just about him; my love was steaming out of my ears for that boy. But for Cleo and Rikki. I had been shocked and disheveled to see Lewis was involved with some ratheaded twat named Spike.

All of us in life deserved love. I felt myself become attached to the merry excitement building up inside of me. I, Isabella Hartley, was in love with William Benjamin. We could get married, and live happily ever after, if…If I chose to rid myself of the war in process inside my head, and drove myself to find sanity.

Rikki, [Heaven knows why], was in love with Zane. Even if she didn't admit it out loud, I could sense it. They would probably be one of those off-couples who lives together, and is drunk a lot, but eventually they would settle down. Cleo was mad for Lewis. They would get married and have a couple kids if only that…whore Lewis was infatuated with was destroyed.

Yes, that was how it was supposed to be. Cleo, Rikki, and I in love.

The only feeling that felt real; Love. And knowledge that it would make things right in the end.

. . .

The shock I was entitled to when the Hotel's Suite door opened and became unlocked, and Lewis didn't walk in, was huge. A girl with black short hair walked in giddy and giggling. The first thing I noticed was her dark ringlets and nose piercing, and probably how she had the style of an Emo girl taken to the runway.

__Not that she wasn't pretty, she was. In an odd exotic sort of way. Her tan skin glistened lightly against the white top with the purple and black striped gloves. She wore a mini-skirt, ruffled and cute, with short purple and black striped sparkly leggings. I knew from the beginning, I hated her.

"Hey! Is Lewis here?" She asked in a poised position. I smiled deeply at her.

"Whoa. You must be Spike. I'm Bella. Lewis has told me so much about you!" I exclaimed in the excited tone I had faked so many times with Cleo and Rikki.

"Oh." She took my in slowly with a frown. Then she decided to sit down on the luxury couch and talk to me. "Your one of Lewis's old friends?"

"Yes…Isabella." I didn't offer her my hand. I just included her in a breathless hug, which she 'oomphed' at.

"So, where have you two met?" I asked in girly excitement. She smiled at me and I saw her eyes reckoning trust and possible admiration at me. And I knew what I had to do. Had it planned in the back of my mind.

It turned out her named wasn't Spike; but Leah. And she had been seeing Lewis for three months; which basically meant they'd been mindlessly fucking with no real substance. Lewis deserved more than that.

I could sense she liked me very much. Perhaps saw me as a possible friend. And I knew what my life was supposed to be now. And this girl, Leah, Spike, and all the rest of the tramps Lewis was involved with were not supposed to be there. And I would get rid of them.

. . .

I eventually persuaded her to come to the pool with me, and Lewis and Drake [and some others I had no clue about] were to come with us. But they wouldn't. Before we left, I made sure to grab a plastic bag, and Drake's lighter. This was going to be Leah Fletcher's death scene.

. . .

I smiled a meek grin as I watched her lifeless body float upon the surface of the gleaming blue water. Her head suffocated in the plastic bag enlarging her throat.

I lifted my hands and stuck the water around into a crumbly sphere of jelly. Slowly the water floated her sculptured circle to the shallow end of the pool and to my outstretched arms.

I licked my lips with the flicker of the lighter.

Suddenly the own Hotel's lights flickered, and then they were out.

I could still seem a fragment of Leah's body. And carefully and with a discreet ability, I dragged her out of the pool room, into the dark hallways, and near the dumpster.

After throwing her upon the scattered trash, I almost heard a scared whisper from her. "Please…" Her eyes flickered in mercy.

I whipped the hot fire onto her body and watched her go a flame.

. . .

Lewis deserved better. I had done this for our futures. Not only did Lewis belong to Charlotte. He belonged to Cleo. He was theirs.

This was how our fate was going to turn out. In Flames.

. . .

After checking my phone, I saw I had three new texts.

**WILL: **_**I love you forever. Almost there.**_

**RIKKI: **_**Hey…We're here. ? R U? Lewis is in deep worrying sh!t.**_

And then Charlotte.

_**I helped you out with this one. Good job. Together, they'll be destroyed. One by one, we'll kill them until Lewis is mine.**_

**. . .**

**A/N: See, there is defiantly a new theme for this fic. Now, although this story is going to get dark, there still is going to some in-depth situations confronting the teen-drama-ness I like to write. But I can't give anything away yet. You better review. This is the first death I have written, so it's a bit crappy. But give me inspiration and REVIEW.**


	9. Scavenger Hunts End In Screwed Up Fate

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: OK: So the MAJOR climate change. I'd like to say that this is when it gets juicy; and perhaps it does. And as always thanks for the lovely-lot [or not] of reviews. But please take your time to tell your deepest feelings about what happens within this webpage.**

**Emma's POV:**

This was rather annoying. Having to feel Cleo constantly banging her head upon my shoulder while we flew in the many quakes you undertook on an airplane. But there we sat. Her carelessly dreaming in the reckless state of sleep. Me cautiously eating the shrimp I forced myself to believe the reason behind my constant gagging; and then running to the airplane bathroom and…vomiting.

For the most part; I urged myself to believe I had a deep infatuating terrible stomach bug. That was the only explanation my sensible brain could muster. But Will saw right through me.

After puking my guts out in the run to the bathroom, and then walking back to see a distortation appearing on Will's face; my face was red and hot. Good thing Cleo was asleep, or…she might wonder… But it couldn't be, could it?

I looked down at my stomach and gulped. But it couldn't possibly be. It just couldn't.

. . .

Eventually we landed. After having to literally shake Cleo of the plane; yanking her goofy now-changed black wig in the process; Will and I carefully claimed ourselves off the plane, following the strange vibe of possible reconciliation between Zane and Rikki [who sat next to Cleo]. Will kept staring at them profusely, with absolute hatred pinning his eyes.

But I couldn't help notice the holding of hands; intertwining their fingers, of course; as a slight sign; maybe the infamous phenomenon of Zikki being…well, Zikki again. Not that Will seemed too pleased.

I should have said something insulting and mean to Will about Zane and Rikki; maybe he would have never thought of asking the insanitized question he performed next.

. . .

"Are you pregnant?" I stared at him in firm ludicrous. I gulped. The fact that anyone could just utter complete bluntness and ever so nonchalantly was unbelievable.

When I didn't answer; he continued.

"I mean, I really don't care. Its just well…a question. Cause your obsessive puking is worrying me very much considering I only just met you."

I couldn't breathe. William Benjamin thought I, Emma Gilbert was pregnant. And he didn't even know me. How was this possible? But was he right? Was it…possible that I was pregnant? Deep flushes of worry passed through me. No; this couldn't be happening! I was responsible, superior, sophisticated, and never troubled, Emma Gilbert. But that Emma…I had left behind, hadn't I?

"You…You think I am?" I asked in a low whisper.

This stopped Will in his tracks. He seemed baffled; unknowing if this was his place to jump in and help or if he should do what all the other guys of the world did; and not give a troubled girl you just met advice on a possible unplanned pregnancy.

"So…it's possible? You don't just have the stomach bug?" Will's eyes were a deep mist of concern and worry.

I gulped. Terror and panic flooded with the blood in my veins. If Will was worrying; I should be worrying. I took a sour look to my stomach. I touched it slightly. Was it possible a baby could lie just within my own body?

"Will…I…" I couldn't speak. "I don't know."

Don't let the tears come. Don't let the tears come. I begged my soul.

That terrible wretched night…it was all too much of a blur. Who was I kidding? It was more than just a night, I had possibly taken apart of...sexual intercourse and winded up pregnant. It had been many. But didn't they all use condoms for all that? No. They supposed I had been on the pills…like everyone else.

A shudder whipped through me. Just thinking about the…porn video. No. That was not the way you were supposed to create a baby. This was all wrong. I was supposed to have children far into the future. Not now. With my entire life in front of me.

I realized Will was saying my name in a state of "Is-she-insane-or-am-I-invisible?. "Emma! Emma?"

"Yeah?" I floated back to present and away from the nightmare that was taking place in it.

"It's possible, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"You should take a test. I… I know I just met you, but…if you need anyone to talk to; I'm here."

I went in frightened denial as I saw his hand slowly go out to touch mine. We stared in each other's eyes until my cheeks went burning red of embarrassment. I chose to look at where Cleo was pulling Rikki away from Zane's hand, and watching how they bonded in a serious situation.

If only I had stayed here. I would be best friends with them still. I would have never experienced a party of a whirlwind. I never would have had sex. And I never would be possibly pregnant until I married.

If only…

. . .

It shocked me. Passing the Hollywood sign flashing right before my eyes. The Las Vegas cultural experiences that I had would have never been able to take in. I marked it down in my mind that when Mum and Dad asked Elliot and I where we wanted to go next; I would immediately say Los Angeles.

Somehow after hearing the many "ooh's and ahh's" of my old friends, and forcing myself to be seemingly calm and bored [Sophistication, here I come], we arrived at a large hotel. It looked very Hollywood-ish.

I soon found out it held a pool, Arcade, Breakfast Diner, and a Club [how wonderful]. I couldn't not notice the intensity of the car. Cleo was worrying deep in that skull of hers; fretting about whether someone might find her. Rikki had been raped last night so her thoughts were probably in a knot of wars. And Zane was trying to make it possible to see a smile shine upon Rikki's pale face. All the while, Will stared at them violently, while he should be worrying about his own girlfriend's mentality.

And I observed all this. The deep pang of vulnerability was too much though. I could be having a baby in six months, and with no way out.

. . .

When absorbing the inside of the hotel; I knew that this should be a vacation and not a rescue trip. Maybe…Maybe, after things worked out, I could invite Cleo, Rikki, Zane, Will, Lewis…-all of them, here. Maybe…

When we walked to the elevator and allowed it to elevate us; I felt a deep sense of unknowing. Everything felt too strange. Too odd. Nothing seemed right, anymore. I wanted to go to the past. Not to be involved in a strange type of mystery-aura with old friends and new freaks. But I was.

. . .

"Guys. Something's wrong." We all stared at Cleo incredulously.

"What?" Rikki asked quietly. She had been quiet the whole time I'd seen her. Only whispering to Zane every so often and listening to his own whispers. And then that Cleo-talk. Deep sorrow of pity filled me. Rikki Chadwick, my strong best friend, had been raped. Repeatedly, and heartlessly. What had the world come to? Oh right, Emma Gilbert having a pregnancy scare.

"Lewis says that Bella is…is…" Cleo couldn't speak.

"She's what?" Will yelled.

The whole Elevator went silent. Finally it opened to reveal the fifth floor. The lights flickered. I shuddered.

"She's gone." Came the scared whimper about a crazy girl who supposedly had been both Cleo and Rikki's friend.

. . .

It was true. Bella was gone. Cleo had gone into ear-splitting shattering cries at the story of Bella cutting Lewis's friend, Drake's neck. He was still alive. But Bella had done that. Harmed and hurt someone so mercilessly. She was crazy. I knew it. I had felt a pang of disaster when I'd first heard her name. And now no one could find her.

. . .

I stood in the bathroom staring at the mirror in front of me.

We [also known as Cleo] had decided to stay here and wait for Bella to turn up. It was a very controversial topic. Lewis had wanted all of us [mostly, just Cleo] to be far, far away from a possibly insane mermaid. He insisted we call the police, and then leave back to Australia, and him to leave back to his very safe dorm room. But Will stopped this idea by saying that Bella was probably going crazy like this because of the Moon. Because of her mermaidness. He so completely scared and lost for someone he loved. He didn't want to believe it. I could tell there was something Lewis wasn't letting on; but what right did I have to ask?

All throughout this, Rikki nor Zane said a thing. They kept quiet, which was very, very, odd for them. How much had that terrible incident screwed her up? And could they be falling for each other again? Pure happy bliss in love. I had never had that. Not even in Ash or Maxxie's and I's relationship.

I didn't know exactly what to think about the mysterious Bella Hartley. All I could tell was that Will loved her. And Will seemed…nice. And he was right. This was what I had to do. To get on with my life. I just needed to take the test. And that's what I did.

I had just finished peeing on the strip when I heard a violent knock at the door. I shuddered and quickly pulled my underwear and pants up.

"Yes?" I asked quietly.

No one answered.

I sighed annoyingly, and opened the door, parting it so that no one would see the…pregnancy test sitting on the counter.

I couldn't believe Will had actually done that. He [even in his stressed manic state of worry for his girlfriend] had went out and bought me the test. What guy did that when they didn't even know you? William Benjamin, I suppose.

I looked at Lewis's bedroom in the Suite. No one was there. In the distance I could hear dirt bike TV droning and knew from the low-toned talking and casual laughter that Rikki and Zane were near by. Will had told me if I needed anything or anyone; he would be there.

"Hello?" I asked with a sigh. "Will?" Again, no response.

Suddenly, something white and small struck my eye.

I picked it up and read what it beheld.

_**Find Lewis and you're in for a surprise. Oh, and don't forget to find a mysterious little key if you have any hope of finding me. –B**_

. . .

I did as I was told. Leaving all usage in the bathroom, I wandered past a Cleo shivering in Lewis's bed, past a Rikki sitting on Zane's lap, past a very, very sickening image of Drake in a closet masturbating to soft porn on his small TV, where I finally after much wanting-to-scold-but-thinking-better-of-it, I asked Drake where Lewis was.

He said Lewis was in the Club.

. . .

Lewis was in the Club. In the most gutted awful position I had ever thought to find him in. Body-shots. He was… He was taking a body-shot from a girl in a pink and black striped slut outfit. And then I got a bitter relinquish of who was talking. I stared at him for a moment unable to say anything.

But when the girl saw me; she immediately sat up. Lewis looked sad.

I wanted to slap him. What the hell was he doing? He was supposedly in love with Cleo. If he didn't want a long-distance relationship then that was fine. But to cheat on her?

"Lewis! What the fuck is your problem?" Hearing my voice, he stifled around and gasped. He looked completely unable to defend himself. He had the belief he would never get caught.

"Emma…I…I.."

"Oh, save it. Cleo's going to be broken when she finds out what you did…are doing! Just one question; Why? Is it just in your nature of being a guy to go around without a specific little something so you just have to cheat!" I went on. But not even myself was even understanding what I was saying anymore.

"Em, I was really lonely, okay? You should get it. When you're away from home, all alone, in a strange place…" He looked at the girl he had been infatuated with a few minutes ago. "It's like everything is telling you; you can and should be a different person."

A shock of understanding hit me. He was right. This wasn't us. Lewis didn't cheat. Emma didn't wind up in a porn video. These things were just what unfamiliar territories made us. But somehow…there would be consequences.

Lewis's Body-shot girl looked up at both of us and frowned. "Wait! I thought…I thought, you were single." She looked both annoyed and disgusted at Lewis and tad bit scared.

"Ugh! There are too many pigs nowadays!" She shook her head and flounced her slutty outfit and the skeleton she called her body across the floor and out of the club. But not before dropping a shiny gold key with yet another note attached to it.

_**Open the HOT TUB ROOM. I'll be waiting… -B**_

. . .

What was I doing? Why was I doing this? Why would I listen to some strange notes of a girl I knew nothing about that could be fundamentally crazy. But no matter what; the bigger part of me [or apparently the one I listened to more] told me to do as and what she said. That didn't mean I wasn't scared as shit.

I asked the bartender where the pool and hot tub was. He answered me with a smirk and saying it was right near the Breakfast Diner. So out I went.

And unlocking it; I was shocked at what I found.

. . .

There was a trail of blood echoing the outline of the hot tub. Some human's blood. The chlorine involved within the tiny sphere of water was reddened as well. But the hot tub and entire room was empty. Except for a small screen projector showing up on the wall. I slowly tip-toed away for the better of myself to the door; when the screen started talking to me.

There she stood. A young distressed dirty blonde haired girl with enchanting green eyes. She had tears sliding down her face. The background behind her a black. The only reason I could see her was because she was holding a lighter and it's flame; making everything seem voodoo-ish.

"Well, well, well…Look how this has happened. Miss Emma Gilbert has finally gotten back from her troubled stay in Paradise. I don't know about you; but I heard from a little birdie, she was real, real, good in a particular film." Giggles escaped her mouth. "But this isn't about you."

"No, this is about things you will never understand. But… But… I am doing my hardest to explain everything to you." More tears.

Then shrieking laughter. She couldn't control her emotions. They were raising Hell with their high and lows.

"I'm angry. And, damn, do I have a right. You wanna know why I'm so crazy? Don't you! I bet you do! I bet you've brainwashed them all into thinking I'm the most wretched person in the world, but you…you bitches…bitch…You haven't even known me for who I really am. Haha."

"A long time ago; my mum died. It was a terrible tragedy, really. I remember…the last thing she said…Was that…well; I was the reason. I have caused havoc for our family, and that it was all my fault. And, who knows? Maybe she was right. You would like that. For everyone to hate me…"

"And they will, after everything goes to shit…You'll all blame me in your end…But just remember; I replaced you. There will always be a time where it was supposed to be…be just us. Bella, Cleo, and Rikki. All young mermaids, in love. That is how it should've been. But because of me, because of her, because of you….Nothing will ever make sense again."

Suddenly the screen lightened as she held the fire lighter in front of the camera. "So, I'd just though I'd let you know…this is what's coming to you…"

The camera flickered to show a crying little girl. She was tied up to a chair. They were in a hotel room; that was for sure. But what one? The little girl shrieked "Please!" Then I heard her muffled cry and I stood unable to breathe as I watched Bella flick the flame of the lighter at the little girl. She went a flame.

I willed myself to do something. Get up. Not watch this. It wasn't good. But I watched it until the very bitter end after Bella got the fire extinguisher and sprayed the little girl's small fragile body in a white foam and slowly whispered "This is all you and your friend's fault. You couldn't just let her have her way…"

I still saw a twitch of the little girl moving. But with a shriek, Bella twirled her hand, and the girl's eyes pulsed out. She had turned her blood to jelly. Bella was a murderer.

The tape went blank.

. . .

I found myself, wearied and scared; scrambling to get back to our room. Bella Hartley; a demented freak show of a mermaid; murderer and psychopath, was in the Hotel, alive, and ready to be a tormentor.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do. The sane part of me screamed to tell someone and everyone and run away from here. But the other complicated part asked if that was what Bella expected me to do. She probably had a plan that would demolish us if we tried to get away now. What was I supposed to do?

. . .

I was walking right past the bathroom when the gutted feeling hit me. The test. My pregnancy test. The one that gave the answers to my future. I cautiously stepped in the bathroom. The pregnancy test wasn't there. I gulped.

"Hey! Did anyone go to the bathroom!" I yelled to Lewis and Drake's room, and all the way to where Rikki and Zane were cuddling. Rikki mumbled something.

"What!" I ran into the room with fleeting arms.

"Oh, Emma…you were in the bathroom?" She gulped and looked down. She pulled herself out of Zane's arms then modestly pulled her arms across her chest.

I gripped out to pull her arm and body into Lewis's room, when she shuddered at the touch. A pang of sadness washed over me as I remembered what she had gone through. Stupid me. Never touch the girl who got raped. The girl who got raped? What was I talking about? This was Rikki, my best friend.

"Yeah…" My face went white as I scanned her eyes. She knew.

"Did you take something of mine?" Her face went red.

"I didn't think it was yours, I mean…Are you…that?" She looked back at the room Zane was in, and gulped.

"I don't know. Am I?"

Rikki looked down. "Emma…if there's anything you ever want to talk about…We're still friends, right?" She held the test, covering the result, and about to hand it to me.

I looked deep within her searing blue eyes. I nodded. "Yeah, we are."

She placed it in my palm. I squeezed my hands over the stick and closed my eyes for a moment.

"Em, I would never judge you." Then Rikki walked away.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked at the test confronting me.

PREGNANT was written across the tiny screen.

**A/N: Wow, lots of crap has unfolded and left your eyes and mouths in a solid O.O Am I right? Or am I just creating a fantasy of this fanfic. I hope I didn't make too much grammar me in a review. vvv**


	10. Ruined Emotions of Sacred Pasts

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Yes, you bet! The newest chapter of Does This Darkness Have A Name [used to be Four Little Miss Nothings] is here! And I'm so blessed to announce it. Remember when this story was only a little widget due to writer's block; well it has become a deeply crafted plot of four mermaids and the mysteries that surround them. Oh, and I need to point out and credit a mastermind reviewer for an idea in the last chapter; Marril96, for the bit about Bella murdering the poor little girl with her powers! Crediting her epic mind. … So go at it…if you haven't already skipped these lines: Just read. And don't forget to leave that review that could change everything.**

**Cleo's POV:**

_I was deep within the water. Drowning. I couldn't breathe. All I knew was something was suffocating me. The only other feeling that was releasing me from the horrific pain was anger. She…the other one had no right to be doing this. I hated her. I loathed her. She caused all this pain._

_ The water shone brightly around me. I saw the moon's full casting glow upon the sea water and upon me. My face was deathly numb. I didn't want to feel. But I saw the girl. The dark-skinned mermaid. She was shown in the middle of the moon. Her beautiful dark hair fled to her back in curly waves. She was morbid in a deep frown. Unhappy. She was reaching out to me; trying to save me at her hardest. So I wouldn't endure her same fate. _

_ "The journey has begun, young one." Her wise words whispered in a harsh unflattering whip. "It can not be undone now. There will no leaving this wrath…it begun long ago." She savored these words then the moon turned crescent. "But…if you follow my words; there is truth. You and your sisters could escape this battle; but do not leave them behind…They are you. And you are they."_

_ She spoke with an accent of some kind. And her eyes were darkening of seriousness by the moments all quickly flooding by. "For one sister is not true; her anguish and pain is stronger than you. She by not the dark of the night; you have bring the lightest of light. There is no going back, here, you see? The unique glow of mermaids will shine thee." Her words were a dark poem whispering away at my soul. _

_ I tried to remember every moment of it. But as quickly as she appeared, she was gone. I was left with the faded image of the Moon's shimmer glowing upon the Moon Pool. A painting of three mermaids wavering through the air. But one stood in the darkness; holding the hand of a devil._

My eyes skimmed the room. I was sleeping in Lewis's bed in this Hotel. I was safe. There was no one drowning. There was no ancient mermaid whispering odd poems to me. I was in reality. Nothing could hurt me….But that wasn't so.

The blankets surrounded me in warmth. They were there; instead of the vision I had just…imagined. I had imagined it. The Moon…could not send me visions of an ancient mermaid, could it? The girl…the Dark Mermaid; the named pounced on me; She was sending me a message.

_You and your sisters could escape this battle; but do not leave them behind…They are you. And you are they._

_ For one sister is not true; her anguish and pain is stronger than you. She by not the dark of the night; you have bring the lightest of light. There is no going back, here, you see? The unique glow of mermaids will shine thee._

Those were her words. They thudded in the back of my brain. I was tempted to write them down to the bitter core and then show them to Rikki and Emma immediately after. But I was scared. Us, mermaids weren't as hardcore as we were made out to be. But I had a pang at thought of disappointing The Dark Mermaid. She was beautiful and I felt her as an all-knowing Keeper of Magic.

They repeated themselves in my mind. _One sister is not true._ _You have bring the lightest of light. The unique glow of mermaids will shine thee._

Could that _sister _be Bella? Where was she? How could she have just run off like this? Was she frightened? Was she alone? Why weren't we out there finding her? A tear slide down my face as I glanced back at my wrist; the bandage covering the darkest lies.

A slicing sob distracted me from my angst. Drake…He was sitting on the floor with his head in his knees; sobbing. I gasped. Drake was Lewis's new friend. I tip-toed over to him.

"Hi." I say quietly. He shudders and turns to face me. He did not expect me to be up.

I see the red velvet line of a cut trace around his neck. Pity leaks me. How is it possible…that my best friend; a _sister _could have done this? Maybe she wasn't a sister at all… _She is not true. _My thoughts whispered.

"Cleo…You're awake. Damn…you looked so beautiful when you sleep." A trail of red made it's way around my cheeks.

He seemed even more embarrassed. "Not that you're not beautiful now. I mean, you're always beautiful. I don't think Lewis knows what he's missing…"

I stared down at the clean white floor. "Well, Lewis and I make things work. They say you can't be long=distance…but I think you can." I smiled a sad one.

"Oh-I didn't mean that…Erm, just…that…Lewis doesn't seem to respect you as much as he should." A match went off in me. A match of fiery passionate anger. What in heavens did Drake mean?

I bit my lip and ignored the lash.

"So, how are you doing?" Confusion hit him.

"I mean…with your scar…." I looked down. "I just….I can't believe Bella would ever hurt someone like that. She's way too….nice, and happy." I frowned bitterly.

He was silent; in deep thought.

"What happened?" I asked him close to a whisper.

"I think it's all my fault…She went reckless." He admitted lowly. "She wouldn't have gone…mental…if…if I didn't want to, uh" His eyes flickered at me "do things with her." I gulped. He gulped. We stared at each other.

"It's not your fault." I had no idea why I was telling him this. It could very well be his fault for her actions of freakiness and craze that landed him with a wounded neck.

"How do you know?" He asked with fear echoing through his voice.

"I…don't. But something was off. I could sense that. Before she left; she was all spacey…and odd. She kept staring at me with a look…like…like…"

"Like what?"

"Like she knew Death." I muttered. He shivered. I watched his hand clasp mine and I gaped at his lips crashing onto the top of my hand in a giddy wrong way. I held my breathe.

"Cleo…I don't know much about Bella…but…if there's something…really wrong with her….Then you can't blame her."

My hand shuddered away from his. I shivered.

"What are you talking about? Bella…She's not really mental. This is just…It's just the…Moon. It has to be…" My face and soul went morbid. Drake looked at me as if I had just announced my own insanity…which; had I?

But Bella could have went into a trance after seeing me in the Moon Pool…It had to be this. Nothing else made sense. She had to be under the influence….But what about The Dark Mermaid? She was in my mind. She wasn't real. She couldn't be.

"I dunno." He mumbled. Then his eyes flickered again at me. "Cleo…whatever this moon thing is with you and Lewis, and your friends…" I looked at him cautiously. "Whatever. I think…I think we should…" He referenced himself and I "should play a little.".

"What?" I laughed at him. Was he saying I cheat on Lewis? Wow.

"Yeah. I mean; it only makes sense for all the terrible things Lewis has done without you!" 

I froze dead in my tracks of laughter. Drake's tan face was wide-eyed and serious. I scoffed for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh. You don't know…" He said as if he thought I was honestly okay with the thought of my boyfriend cheating on me in LA. My whole world appeared to be crumbling apart.

"Lewis had kind of stumped over how wonderful you are these past months, that's all." I gulped. I picked myself up, then plopped back to where the bed Drake was sitting on.

"He's cheated on me?" I ask in a hoarse whisper. All thoughts of magic were replaced in heartbreak.

"Um…Yes." I was about to turn away and storm out when he caught my hand. "Just because he can't love you in the way you need to be loved…doesn't mean I can't."

He leaned in with caution. He was about to kiss me. His red licorice lips were about to crumble on top of mine. I scooted closer to him. I knew what happened after this. Lies and betrayal. But Lewis…had cheated on me? Our lips were just about to touch. Giddy guilt scowled me. Almost there…

"CLEO! Wake up, already, and-" Rikki crossed her arms, staring at us with a peculiar eye. My life was over.

. . .

Rikki stood there attired in a black tutu [What the Hell? Had my vision messed up?] and some polka-dotted stockings with a purple blouse with golden stripes. She looked right out of a fashion magazine, complete with her high heels! Who was this chick and what had she done to Rikki Chadwick? Oh, yes, that was probably the perks of dating a rich dangerous yet completely in love with you guy. Of course; they had gone shopping. And everyone knew Zane had an irk to buy Rikki expensive things.

But she had been smiling. Now she was inspecting Drake and I like we were the Plague and if she got just a tad too close; the whole world would divulge in Darkness. She glanced at me with a sickly grin and pointed out the door.

"Cleo! I have news! Humungous News!" She left the room. Her voice has sounded morbid. I had no idea what to expect. I awkwardly followed her into the room that was now empty of Zane.

I looked around waiting for him to pop out and make sure Rikki was happy and content; but he never did. I stared at Rikki in fear of what she might have seen.

"Cleo; I have so much to tell you! It's all so frightening…but you need to know, okay?" I nodded. I felt still in a daze of a trance I was unable to get out of.

"Cleo!" She looked at me, squinting her inspections carefully. "Are you alright?" She didn't know. She had never seen our almost kiss. She had absolutely no suspicions.

"Yeah….I'm fine…Just scared about Bella. Do we have any updates?" I half-lied.

Rikki shook her head somberly. "I know…the things I'm telling you might seem…just a wee bit selfish" I liked seeing Rikki smile "but; friends are supposed to tell secrets to each other…and we have shared the biggest one…so…" She staggered.

"Rikki! Tell me already!" I shrieked at her. She frowned then smiled, which was followed by another frown.

"This isn't any of my business…but something's wrong….with Emma."

I gulped. Not another friend thrown into a wrath….

"What?" I asked with a face of fearing pinning my mind.

"I…I was going to the Bathroom, and…and…she had a pregnancy test on the counter." Rikki bit her lip, questioning telling me.

"What did it say!" I demanded; oddity choking my feelings.

"It said…It said…Positive." She whispered.

"Oh, my god…" My eyes went forlorn to the ground. I knew this was an invasion of privacy. But Emma, my old bestest friend; the responsible, always reasonable, Emma Gilbert was pregnant?

"How do you know it was her's?" I asked doubt relieving me.

"She was asking where it was…" Rikki replied quietly.

I didn't know how to respond. It didn't seem real. Rikki just telling me this like it was some rumored gossip. So I couldn't react. "Wow…I…What do you think?"

She squared her jaw. "Well; she has a boyfriend…I dunno; maybe they're planning to get married…" Rikki's eyes wandered off.

"But…she just found out, right? She has a boyfriend: Max, or something like that….But, I doubt he knows…"

Rikki nodded in agreement. "It just doesn't make sense."

That was the quote for the world. "What do you think she's going to do?"

"I don't know, Cleo…" Rikki's eyes fell. "But we can't judge her…No matter what. Somewhere deep inside her is the best friend that we'll always love…All those memories; we can't change that. Just like we'll never stop searching for Bella…Friendship." She smiled solemnly as if realizing for the first time it might be the only good thing in the world.

"What's the update on…Bella?" I shivered now just hearing her name.

"We've alerted the Hotel Owners but they can't find anything on the records of their cameras….It's all a bit…surreal. What has the world come to when Bella Hartley goes missing?" Bitterness filled me.

"Where're the guys?" I asked quietly thinking of the anger of realization…that Lewis has cheated on me.

She smiled. "They're all out searching for her. God knows how they'll be able to not kill each other." For a moment, I thought about half-giggling. But the feeling passed quickly.

Now Rikki's pale face surrounded by her light curls seemed frail and confused. She was having a difficult time processing a situation. "Cleo…I have to tell you something…And you have to promise not to get angry, and try to see the situation from my eyes…Try to understand…and please, please, Cleo….You'll always be my friend…right?" She was in total sulking fear.

I reached out to her hand. She shuddered at first. I imagined her remembering the terrifying sequence that must have taken place just two nights ago. Poor Rikki. I really did love her. Why would she ever doubt that?

She inhaled slowly. She was in cold frantic fear I was going to loathe her after this. "There is nothing you could possibly do that would make me love you any less. We're like…sisters…" I said, smiling, remembering the Dark Mermaid's words.

She nodded. She was about to tell me everything. I could sense it.

Then she looked down, didn't say a word.

"I…I think I love Zane, Cleo." My insides troubled themselves. She didn't sound right. She sounded as if she was half-lying. As if there was something else she wasn't telling me. But the thought of her and Zane made me quench. He was a complete asshole. How could she love him again? Some things would never make sense. But…maybe there is something I don't know about. He was the first person she talked to after she was…raped.

I gulped. "That's….not unexpected, Rikki."

She looked at me in uncertainty. "We…We kissed. Not a fake kiss. A real one." My stomach was in knots for her.

"And I know he'll always love me no matter what…But I don't know…My biggest fear was always to get attached to some one…To get heartbroken. He already did that once…." She looked down at her hands. As if she was telling them all this and not me.

I smiled a sad slow smile at her.

"But…you have to believe that he will change. If your heart is telling you he's the one; if it's meant to be it'll happen." I felt my soul wavering. "You know you've always been able to change him. And he changes you in the most strangest ways…"

"But, I don't want to change. I want to be heartless Rikki Chadwick again. The one who is never protected or attached. I want to be Me…And that's it. Not me with Zane or anyone." She was still stuck in her nerves.

"But…you can't stop fate or love." My heart was severing itself in thought of Lewis. What would I do? "He loves you. And I know you love him. Nothing else should matter."

She shook her head. "But it does. It just does." I could feel her sense of awkwardness, scoffing at the feel of a soap opera. It turned even more dramatic a few seconds after.

I found out what she had really planned to say right after this. And I would never ever forgive her. I couldn't.

. . .

I was numb. Completely numb. I couldn't feel. And I didn't want to.

Rikki was a liar. She was terrible. All these years we had laughed Charlotte off like she was a foolish-minded girl that was now forced into Military School and could never hurt us or even find us ever again. Charlotte had contact with Rikki. Rikki had stole my own items and gave them to Charlotte without hassle. I could never trust her again! What had happened?

Oh yeah, Rikki was slutty and desperate enough to cheat her best friend and have sex with Will! She was just as bad as the losers Lewis had…cheated with. I…Calm down, Cleo…I tried to rationalize myself. But all my flaming heart could scream was: LIAR. TRADER. WHORE.

It was wrong to be thinking these things when…she was supposed to be my "sister". Was Rikki the actual untrue one? What about Bella? And Emma? My heart quivered.

I didn't want to think anymore. Rikki had begged me to forgive her, but I wouldn't. I couldn't. And now I needed all this pain and mystery to go away.

. . .

I walked into the bedroom of Lewis's. I gasped and fell to the ground. All around pasted to the wall were pictures of the Dark Mermaid next to three other girls. One was a smiling beauty with long straight blonde hair and big blue eyes. Next to her was an exotic looking girl with pale skin and a vibrant face surrounded by blonde curls. The Last One had olive skin and dirty blonde hair. I would be an idiot to not notice the resemblance that each of the three girls had with Emma, Rikki, and Bella. The Dark One had similarities with me as well. The only difference was her dark skin was darker than mine and her eyes flashed green.

I couldn't take it. These lies and secrets were too much to bare.

And right at that moment: Drake walked in.

. . .

I was about to ask him if he had done this. But his intrigued face of the photographs of black and white answered it for me. I stared at him for a moment; taking in his dark spiky hair, his leather jacket, his somewhat sensual quavering lips. He's holding something. Another photo. This one of Lewis, and a girl. One that is never going to be me.

I slowly pace myself to him and let myself fly to the wind. The first step….giving my soul away. I undid all the things I told Rikki about love and I threw myself in cold heated thrilling lust and desire upon Drake. But it didn't matter that it was him. It didn't matter who I was going to end up naked upon. It just couldn't be someone I love. Because Love…it was just a fantasy. A fantasy even darker then a story of four girls who had cursed the Moon Pool into a sacred magical place of mermaids. Ones who desperately were trying to tell me something.

But I didn't want to listen. I wouldn't. That was that.

**A/N: My chapters really are getting longer. Sorry about that if you like shorter ones… Anyways, possibly confusing at the end…Rikki had admitted the troubling communication she has received from Charlotte. Cleo's emotions are a blur. But, let me tell you, it's all going on crack. And it will possibly get more and more insane each chapter. Review, my lovelies.**


	11. Different Views Change Everything

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Do you love it yet? If not…I'm deeply sorry but you need to bloat your loathing into a review. I have yet to received one hateful review on this site. So…if that's any indications, I'm hoping you adore reading this story just as I adore writing it. And if that's the case, you're screeching at me to shut up already so you can read the amazingly epic character, Rikki Chadwick's POV of the chaotic world around her.**

**Rikki's POV:**

I swiftly turned the hot sizzling water escape into frantically boiling bullets to the smooth floor and to my skin. They hit me like razors; shooting pain and punishment for the ill-fitting lies The wrath, curse, and gift of my orange tail sprouted from my legs. I had kept a secret from Cleo for too many moments. She hated me now. She had reason. I was a dying flower who only had a heartbroken ex-soul mate that I had dumped into the garbage with so much as a flick of a tear.

And I couldn't love him. It was too wrong. I didn't want to be the hated girl axed out of her best friends and only known to be seen with the bad boy that nobody knew was misunderstood. The water kept thrusting at me. Hitting me with that sickening force. And I closed my eyes as my tail wiggled upon me.

Everything was falling apart. No matter how much I tried to pretend I was okay. This never changed the fact that I had been raped just two nights ago. That I had kept a secret of a disturbing enemy from my best friend who I loved more than she could ever know. And now she hated me. Now I was telling myself even more lies that I didn't love who my foolish heart whispered was possibly my soul mate. And on top of it all, my other best friend was missing. Missing and Insanitized. Two fearing concepts that unlocked questions that I didn't really wanted to be answered.

So, that's why I let the shards of water-bullets plummet at me. That's why I was holding the knife so closely to my wrist; the thoughts of Cleo's mystery full moon madness closeting me. That why my tears were going to seep in with the blood of a broken mermaid. That's why I was about to slice the pain out.

But that's when he walked in.

. . .

If I had paid attention, I would have heard him nervously calling out my name in a worried attempt of fear for his true love.

But my thoughts were on the sadistic pain; and his arms floundered upon me and on the knife I was holding too quickly to be recorded in moments. He grabbed me and I almost saw a tear fall from his eyes. His voice was a clutter of misunderstood words. I wanted to tell him it was okay. That this had nothing to do with him. That he could be released. He didn't have to care anymore. Even if I still did.

"Rikki! What the fuck is going on!" I wanted to melt in the fear and hurt in his eyes. He thought he had made me better. He thought he was the unique key that made Rikki Chadwick happy. But his eyes were flickering the truth; he hadn't. But he had. He just…couldn't look at me with such hurt.

"I'm sorry, Zane… I…" He was turning the shower off. I could have swore that it wasn't just the water falling from his face; but tears. Wicked tears for a girl that would never love him. And who hated herself more than she hated the way he made her feel.

"I wasn't going to do it." I lied. But he could see that.

He sat down. His clothes were a disarray of wet cloth sagging down awkwardly to my more naturally wonder of a Sea's Queen; my top and tail.

"I thought…I thought you were better. Happy. I thought I had made you happy. What…What happened?" For a moment, I saw his disbelief. But it faded so quickly. I had to think I imagined it. He knew better than anyone what I felt when he looked in my eyes. Except the most important thing; I cared too much for him.

"Charlotte." I whispered. "Cleo found out about Charlotte."

It was the first time I realized he was the only one who knew. Well…had known. And a glance to the eyes, and I knew he understood. I had wrecked out everything to him; fucking Will, and the curse Charlotte had placed on me…Everything. It had just come out so naturally; leaking trust. But why him? And why, if he loved me, did he accept me giving my virtue and virginity away to Will. I knew he hated him. Was it possible he accepted all my ugly truths, _because _he loved me?

He was holding my hand profusely. He wouldn't let go if I didn't tell him not to. So I allowed him. "She hates me, Zane. She hates me so much. Just like you should." I clenched my eyes together in fear and tears.

"I could never, ever, hate you. We make mistakes, sure. We all know that. _I _know that. But, the thought that I should hate you! It's insanity speaking." My eyes flickered at the thought of him kissing me on the cheek. I wanted him to kiss me. No. I didn't. But… What did I want?

"That's just it. Insanity talks. Always. It does other things to. It causes life-threatening mistakes that screw up the victim it takes place inside. It also makes people ramble in odd circumstances that no one but the victim can even begin to understand." I coughed up. He held me tighter.

"Rikki, you wanna know the biggest mistake of my life? I can promise you; it's much worse than anything you can do."

"What?" My eyes glistened in tears of want for Zane.

"Letting this girl; this amazing, beautiful, clever, witty, sometimes rather fiery and feisty, girl. I let her slip through my fingers. I never realized how I was letting her down. I thought about only myself. And she ended up leaving. And I…I ended up a disaster. Both of us never knew I couldn't live without her. I let my soul mate go."

I looked at him feigning wonder. I knew this girl all too well.

"And what about her? This girl? How could she possibly live without you?" I bite my lip, fighting the smile of happiness found in the belief losing me was the biggest mistake of his life.

"She was so much stronger than I could ever be. She was so much more of everything wonderful and good than I am ever going to be. That's why I know the Rikki I love is in there. Waiting for someone to find her…So she can be strong again. So she can be the Rikki I fell in love with. The one that broke my heart."

"Appearances can be deceiving, Zane." I looked for just a moment into his eyes; causing shivers to hive up my spine. "She might not be all that strong. It could be all a mask, did you ever think of that?"

His arms found the side of my shoulder and I chose to go forth with his urging of cuddles, and I rested my head in just the perfect place on his chest. We couldn't keep doing this, I knew. But I also knew; now that I had it, I might never be able to live without it again.

. . .

"Zane…I want to get out of here. I want to get out of this Hotel. I want to go somewhere. Somewhere…not here." I whispered into his tan perky ear.

His attention was mussed out of his pleasant hopeful smiles; knowing the bathroom door was locked and we were cuddling each other like the oddballs in love we used to be and into careful attention. [I had steamed the room up so I was dry; as well as having an exotic odd theme to it].

"Can we?" My eyes went somber and I realized I was asking him. When did that happen? I ordered him. …But was that _really _right after maturing? But was it ever right to always plead and beg to a guy hoping they'll show the faith you want to see? No. Why was I thinking too hard about everything?

"Well, then we shall go where ever the beautiful girl of blonde curls and breathtaking blue eyes of beauty commands we go." I smiled at the Zane who only allowed his goofiness and corny side come out when he was with me. I was the magic key to an amazingly caring and thoughtful Zane; a person unlike any other impression of any other human being had ceased to have of him.

"Well, then…" I took his arm and we pranced out of the toasty dry room and into the Hotel's lovely suite. I stopped when I saw Lewis's wide frozen eyes as he sat on the leather couch. His face was glued to the door that led to his room. The one Cleo had stomped into. I wondered what she was doing. Crying? I bit my lip in guilt.

"Wait." I whispered to Zane. I sighed at Lewis, wondering if he knew and hated me just as much as Cleo did. But his eyes didn't meet me. They just stared out into space in that odd way. I saw Emma in the kitchen part, stuffing her mouth with sour gummy worms being put into an emotional-whack, with Will close by. Her face was red. She looked freaked out. I was shocked when I realized that according to a test; there was a Mini-Emma inside of her. I wondered which one of them I should gallop to and comfort. I wondered if Bella was in misery right this very moment.

I realized why they seemed to just be staring at us [but not at us]. I was holding my wrist in a scrunched knuckle that only allowed a stream of vision through; and showed them. Eyeing each other. Biting their lips in misery.

I clamped by fist again. This time I could hardly see the outline of Zane next to me, holding my hand.

"I'll just need a minute." I whispered once again to Zane; the passion I was feeling not wanting to wait.

When I went to the comforts of Lewis's new mate, Drake's room; I found a notepad. And a highly skilled blue ink pen. And I wrote what my mouth could never produce. I had never been much of a writer, but my soul took it away.

_**I don't know who I should address first; because doing so would seem as if I care more about either one of your breakdowns and secrets you have built within your lives more. I love you all equally. I love four people in all. But not all of these souls are you.**_

_** So, let's begin.**_

_** Emma. I guess I believed by writing to you first after not being able to speak to you for two years would be easiest. But it's not. I don't know if what's happened to us; to you has been the result of simple growing up, or something more. The fact is I don't know who you are anymore. And believe me, I don't believe I should pretend I do. All I'm aware of is that you seemed stricken with fear. We all have fears. Fears of the unknown, usually. But yours seems to be the outcome of losing who you used to be. It happens to all of us. But, when you look in the mirror, can you honestly say you like the person you've become? I'm not cruel enough to list a lie of yours here. I'm better than that. I know what it's like…to constantly try to cover up the bruises left by a secret scar no one knew you had. Emma, when I come back…when I see you again…in no matter how long that time is. I will always love you. Our mistakes make us who we are today. And, if I'm right, I will help you in all ways possible. You'll always be like a sister.**_

_** These get difficult as I go deeper and deeper into my inner-feelings. This one contains the most wrong-doings on my part. Cleo. You were always the sweet, cherished, beautiful, naïve one. The one that we all knew would break our hearts if we let you down. And I've done just that. To you more than anyone. I know admitting the things I've done won't help. But if you'll please; allow me. It's good for the soul. Two years ago, or so; I found myself heartbroken. Perhaps, Lewis treats you like the princess you are, too much, for you to understand what this feels like. But I was in the hole of my heart; the bitter, scared, curious hole of dark. But there was a light chanting my name; telling me I was still wonderfully amazing. The light was Will. But now, looking back on this incident. He wasn't my light. But I used him anyway. In lack of better words, you know the rest. And she had seen; Charlotte, I mean. It might seem selfish, but I had been trying to protect Bella. Bella and Will, even. And later on, you. Charlotte forced me to do troubling tasks for her. She wanted…wants some type of revenge. But together, we won't let her have it. Together, along with Emma, and a possible connection to Bella; we'll drive her away. That's what sisters do. We ban together and fight and protect for what is ours. Especially mermaid sisters. I'm just asking, if you'll allow me to still claim a name as one of your best friends; a troubled one. But one who will do anything for you. I love you and care about you more than you will ever know. Don't you understand that? I wanted to protect the ones I love from the lies I had been shamed upon.**_

_** I…don't exactly know how to speak to you, anymore. Bella, that is. I know who I think you are. But to be honest, the things I've been told about the moments after you saw Lewis; I can't say it doesn't make me question everything. But, that doesn't change the past memories. I know, that some of the challenges and experiences we've undertook, or at least I hope, were too real to be fake. Maybe this is just my heart flooding out it's hurting and hopes and dreams while in a state of vulnerability. But, Bella, can't you come back? No matter what you've done…we're here for you. I know I am. And…please Bella, come home. Not the house you live in, or the frazzled Mako, or into Will's arms, but with us. The people that love you and care. Isn't that all that matters? Love. We love you heaps. …It's possible nothing can change that.**_

_** And now to others that aren't regarding what I have come to known as the Mako Sisters; four souls deeply involved in such chaotic magic; sometimes so pure, sometimes so dark. I have to address…the following: Will. Perhaps, it should be known I have no intentions of Zane ever reading what is involved in this page. I love him too much.**_

_** …Will. This is the worst. It is because even with the standing fact that we are/were the odd type of friends you see in horror movies in which they must confess their love before their heads get chopped off; I have no feelings that you'll take me through anything. Because you aren't my sister [obviously]. What use would it be to say that I don't love you? You know that. I know that. You don't love me. I don't love you. It will never be as if I'm the center of this terrifying torturous love square; a breaker of unbreakable hearts. But in ways, maybe it is possible that night happened for a reason. For regrets. We needed it to realize that we are not anything more than a relationship that was once friends; but now broken. I care. That is all. I care.**_

_** You may be wondering, as you have stumbled upon this, after me taking an absence with Zane, if I've become like Bella. I haven't. It isn't that I'm running away from…Okay, so what if I am? I am running away from my lies, just as it's been probable Bella has. But I intend to come back. Soon. But I want the messes of the fifth year of our mermaidness to be cleaned up first. I promise all of you, I will come back. And when I do, I'll try my hardest to prove I'm worthy of your amazing hearts and souls.**_

_** That is all I have to say. Other than, don't expect me to act like a total emotional sass when I come back…**_

_**[Don't make me say "Sincerely" like this is a real letter, Em],**_

_** Rikki**_

And with that, Zane and I left into the early evening air of an unexplored Las Vegas. But not one, I was willing to play in.

. . .

How I, Rikki Chadwick had found myself standing face to face with such large letters constructing of H O L L Y W O O D , was unbelievable. A part of me wanted to smile at the thought. Zane and I, being in one of the most famous sights of America. Yet it all was too simple.

I sat down on the dirty ground planted on the slope of the mountain. And I smiled at the sight of Los Angeles lying at my feet. Zane and I had dumped all our belongings once I had told him I didn't want to come back to the Hotel, due to the eerie vibes, and the mistake laid in it.

__He accepted this with a glance. And now we found ourselves here.

"Thank you, Zane. For everything…that I never got to thank you for." I looked at him with a glint of a smile. He returned it.

"…Yeah." His eyes were far off into the view. I bite my lip. It wasn't usual for Zane to not pay attention to the exact everything that was thrown out of my mouth.

"What's on your mind?" I asked quietly. Did he think I was insanely crazy for just leaving like we had? If so, why hadn't he said earlier? Was I crazy?

"Rikki, I'm tired. Do you want to know the truth? I'm tired of all these secretive touches, and lost smiles, and mind fucks! Can't-"

I tapped his shoulder. "Mind fucks?" My lip almost quivered in a smile. "You think we're mind fucking?" This caused a jolt of a smile.

He grinned at me. "Not exactly…fucking. But, the deep love-making stuff…" He was blushing frantically.

"In our heads?" I questioned.

"Yeah…" I eyed him.

"So…what were you saying?" I felt my gut squeeze as I knew where Zane was going with this. Our undeniable love.

"Rikki! I don't know if you still love me or if you ever did, but you feel something for me that isn't just the hate you pretended to unleash after you saw Sophie kiss me…But we're over that, aren't we? You know I love you, and I'm tired of you just smiling in that damn cute mysterious way! I want you to tell me the truth. Tell me that you care. Tell me that there's still a part of you that loves me!"

I stiffened. I glanced back at the view. It was now hard for me to breathe. His eyes pierced thoughts at me, with impatience demeaning out of them.

"Zane…I…Do we have to talk about this?" My eyes swayed with the water of hopelessness of my soul.

"Yes, Rikki! We do. We do because there's never going to be a time when you tell me just what the fuck is going on inside that clever yet hopelessly frightening mind of yours." His eyes burned impatience. He had been waiting for this moment for years, and now he demand I give it to him. It was the only one thing he had ever asked of me; the truth.

"I…" My voice cracked. "Zane, don't yell at me. Okay? I know you deserve answers, but please! Please, don't yell at me." He went silent for a trill.

"I'll tell you the truth. Cause this is what you ask for." My breath went short. "The truth is…I care. I care way too much. But I can't say that I love you, because….because, all my life I've never known what love is. If this, what we have, is love…it's too….scary. I don't want to be attached to someone, and especially not you! You'll hurt me. Everyone will. Because no matter how strong you think I am, I'm too fragile to be touched! I take everything and think about it's ultimate meaning. Everything hurts me. Especially you."

I had ended up screaming my heart, lungs, and brain out all right there. Suddenly a mess of rain shattered upon us. My formation flopped to the ground in an orange tail. Zane was trying to shield me from the sudden crashing rain. I cried.

"What did I do? I tried everything to make you happy." He screeched at me, ignoring the horrendous whipping of rainwater.

"Happiness hurts! Because I know how easily it could be taken away. You can't promise me that you'll never get tired of me, that you'll never get angry and hurt me, that you'll never break my heart…It's impossible. Love is impossible. Ours is no exception." My voice was hoarse now. The crying stopped but my wreaking of feelings was strong as ever.

"Rikki…Can't we try? There's no guarantees. There never is. But I know that us together, and happy, and in love, even with a bitter end…is so much better than being alone forever wondering what-ifs…. Please, Rikki?" I looked down at the sagging grass beneath the strange exotic rain to the dry lands of California. It was pouring down wickedness.

"I…" So much of me longed to say yes. To let him swallow me in his arms. Be beheaded with a gazillion of his sweetest kisses. And smile into his chest knowing that he would love me forever more. What was stopping me?

Nothing…

I tried my hardest to waddle my tail to him. But I suppose he saw the way my lips were forming, and beat me to it. He grabbed my cold shoulders and held me into him and kissed me. Passionately. Wildly. The type of crazy ones when you know this is the high of being in love. That you would just want to stay in this one moment before everything goes to crap.

But when I opened my eyes. It wasn't raining anymore. The burden of the storm, and the burden of my heart were gone. We could finally be in the peace that wasn't peace at all. The lovely spinning of two wilds souls admittance that we knew what that crazy thing called love could actually be.

. . .

The moment was ruined. Our eyes searching the plain of wild, glancing the stokes of pure love, when the beep shattered all that we knew.

My phone.

My tail was no longer soaked, or existing. All that was left was my cold pale slender legs, attired in my polka stockings, and purple and golden streaked skirt. On top of this was a white hoodie turned plaid at the sleeves with a twist of red. Inside the pocket held the message that would change my life.

. . .

**CHARLOTTE:**

** The storm might be over where you are. But it's just getting started in the little Hell-Tel you just left. And trust me, when I say this, the torture is about to begin. Run along if you want your friends dead. Get face to face with the devil, if you believe you can save them.**

. . .

We ran. Off the slope of the Hollywood sign, scrambled into the Limo, and raced back to the Hotel. But we were too late. That was what my heart kept thundering upon my head.

Smoke whisked out of the room that Lewis had first claimed his. We raced there in hysteria, fearing for the truth. But no one was there. None of the friends of my dear beloved. They were gone. And my heart rate was reaching the force of misery.

I cried at Zane to go to the staff and call the fire trucks and fighters. His eyes went through flashes of worry, then agreement. I watched the last image I had lasting as he rushed down the hallway and down the stairs, begging for help. He had believed I was right behind him. We didn't know where all of them were. Not one.

I was left alone in the burning room.

It was then I felt sharp nails grab hold of my neck. And I saw her crooked wrong face. Her ambers eyes twitching so furiously. I didn't expect to see the other. Bella, her eyes green and wide, watching Charlotte strangle me. She still gave the aura of an innocent angel. Then the disturbed guys who raped me came from hidden. Their smiles and Charlotte's; all so twisted and wrong. But Bella standing in the middle as an angelic siren; one of fear.

I felt something pierce my wrists. I tried to move them up to burn the face of the wicked witch, Charlotte. But they wouldn't curl into a fist of fury; cursing fire and lightning and the insanity of hot everywhere it dared point. So, I resorted to screaming. I screamed for Bella. I screamed for Zane. I screamed for anyone that could hear me. But I guess, no one was listening.

That was the last thought I could enter, before Charlotte pulled me from the hallway and away from all hopes of living in a sanitary world; a world where sisters never lied to each other.

**A/N: I realize I enjoy writing Rikki's chapters extremely much. But that might be because I'm still in awe of the first couple I ever adored: Zikki. But…if you've read the above; things might not be all fairy-tales and cream for the two twisted soul mates. Because one bitch, and another lost soul, have decided to fuck everything up. You, Missy/Mister, have an awful lot to review about.**


	12. The Mental Wreak Violence and Hypocrisy

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: What the flying lizards? My mind is a wicked little thing that goes in opposite directions that heart ponders upon…so I write on. But you! Yeah you, little mouse! You need to get your hands on the mouse and swerve it to the Review Sign; and then, my friend; you type your inner thoughts and feelings on the wild world I have created on a web page. Well…yeah; so basically bitch about Bella, in this case, of course.**

**Bella's POV:**

I watched Charlotte and her devils giggle in such an evil inhumane way. I watched her brother, Mason, and his disgusting friends stroke Rikki viciously, and Charlotte slapped her with a clap and then wrenching cackles. I stood there; a perfect display of the constipated anxiety-ridden lost soul.

I knew how evil Charlotte was appearing. I couldn't bring myself to rid the tears glowering down my cheek as I watched Rikki get tied up, hung so terribly doll-like across the wall. Mason's friends were spraying the fire-extinguisher's sharp blows across the scorching wrath of the fire; and then how they so cruelly scorched Rikki. Her shrieks of hatred and fear called to me. I still saw how her eyes were shattering so wickedly in hope I would…save her? Come to my senses? Free myself? No one would know.

Charlotte creaped above her, smiled that hideous taunting smile, and hit her with horrendous force; only a monster would do in repetition. Rikki weakened as her hand crippled under the pressure of the tying duck tape. I heard her whisper, "Bella…" and I wondered where I'd be now if Charlotte and I had never met again.

_"Bella…This is a place of calm serenity. No one can judge you here. We are all here to listen and help you come to understand yourself," The rest of the group nodded. I looked around the uninteresting room. I wore the ugly gown of yellow; marking my committing to Ireland's very own Sea Pines, otherwise known as Sick Minds._

_ I looked around at the thin amount of tired face staring back at me. We sat in our Group Circle. Dr. Kathleen calls it our center of peace. I call it the pit of Hell. She expects me to tell my feelings, but she wants me to gush the wrecked nonsense of how I came to stab Grant Edger in his repulsive rapist eyes._

_ But I would never, ever, let them into my insanitized mind. They didn't deserve that._

_ I shrugged my shoulders. I looked down at the checkered pattern tiling of the tiles on the floor. But Kathleen didn't move on. She held her stare at me. "Bella, why don't you tell us about your life before your…incidents?"_

_ I grimaced. "My life? It was…terrible." She looked at me in hope of me going on. I just bit my lip and sighed. "That is all. I'll choose when I should start to understanding why I'm 'special'." I twitched my lip sarcastically at her._

_ Kathleen had pursed her lips and was about to scowl-preach about how we should all try to connect together and relate to each other's so equally disturbing actions of past. But the door screeched to a halt, and I heard the sobbing of a dark red head and her amber eyes rolling you in so strangely. _

_She was sobbing; crying wickedly at her mother. I never thought her crazy words could ever make such sense._

_ "But, Mum! Believe me! Please believe me! I was a mermaid, and they were evil; these girls! I'm not crazy! I shouldn't be here!" Her eyes pleaded nonsense; but she in the middle of a breakdown. The sane structure of me would have found it hilarious; a girl who believed she had become a mermaid. But I was in there too, right?_

_ "Charlotte! Control yourself. You are staying here…until…until you get better." I could almost feel the tears slipping out of her mother's eyes. Damn, they were causing such a huge scene. I was loving every bit of it and especially the fact that this was a distraction to Kathleen as well. A new victim she just had to sink her claws into and figure out her deepest darkest secrets. Kathleen didn't know Charlotte had a lot of them._

_ Finally, with fragile distaste I took in Charlotte's mother's swat of her daughter into the start of Charlotte's mental "journey". Charlotte stood crooked and slowly took in the thrilling beginning of her new life. Her ambers eyes strode to mine; I suppose I was the only interesting bitch in this room._

_ She gave me a sad slow wicked smile. I bite my lip and looked at her cautiously. And then by sudden instinct; we both giggled. We both had needed it. A giggle. A simple mind-chilling giggle. And then perhaps; we both got the visual flashbacks of a childhood memory long forgotten. It was one of sandboxes and little girl friendships. But after that giggle, after another dose of the poison darts in her eyes; my life would never be the same again._

"Bella…" My thoughts fizzled and I was taken hostage by those poisonous ember eyes. Charlotte smiled the same crooked wrong smile and referred to Rikki.

"You do the honors, Bells. Torture her with your powers into a terrifying cult where she wishes she were dead." I saw the frantic tears running down Rikki's cheeks and her eyes desperately searching for my remaining humanity. But Charlotte; the one who had been there, helped me into a normality, made me the closest thing I could be to me again-No. Cleo and Rikki had done that. Well, really, they had discovered a sane me, a happy one with no problems. But who did I owe loyalty to in the end? The answer was so frighteningly obvious.

"Charlotte…_please_." I whispered slowly as if the simplest sound could throw off everything. My mind was war. I knew two things. I knew fate had brought Cleo, Rikki, and I together. We were meant to be the sisters; not this twisted connection between Charlotte and I. But what about the screwed little Emma Gilbert? The mermaid whore who was probable to take everything I loved away from me. My best friends, and…

"Bella!" Charlotte was growing severe and angry. "Jellify her blood." Her teeth forced a skewed smile. I shivered and stared at Rikki's shaking body tied up so cruelly, her blue eyes blinking so rapidly; Was it possible that Rikki had done all the terrible things Charlotte obsessed over talking about? Yes. But not Cleo. Cleo was supposed to be the worse one.

I watched Charlotte's brother and his gang mess with Rikki…everywhere. Burning anger struck me. Why couldn't Charlotte see that Emma was the one who caused so much damage? She was their leader. She must have told Cleo to do all kind of insanitized slutty whorish things to try and get Lewis back and ruin Charlotte. They had ruined Charlotte…I knew this. But my soul was split; tearing in half in so many ways; I didn't want to breathe anymore. Complications of emotions enthralled me. Why couldn't it just stop? Why couldn't I be someone else…someone else who had never gone to an insane asylum, never met Charlotte and her wicked rays, and…never met the soul mate and soul sisters of my life? I wanted this battle to be over.

I knew what I wanted. I wanted…

Charlotte was shrieking angrily full of stabbing urgent recklessness and retaliation. Rikki was whimpering and calling my name. She knew; I know she did. I was still here… I heard the cracking of momentum as the evil…evil rapists; that was what they were. They had raped my best friend. Wretchedness eloped me.

Yet it was all so suddenly clear.

I wanted my two real sisters back. I wanted my one soul mate. I wanted to escape the dark wrath of Charlotte's evilness. And I wanted the unwanted unworthy mermaid of disaster dead. I would get what I wanted…I had to.

. . .

I smiled at Charlotte. I allowed my mind to outline the circling fire surrounding us; like a séance of some sort. But so wickedly torturous. "Charlotte…Rikki will be taken care of." I gave Rikki a small dent of my emotions. Couldn't she feel that I was true? She sobbed louder.

"But…the others can't leave. They must be…trapped."

. . .

That was all it took. I promised Charlotte I would come back for both her and Rikki. Rikki was strong; I knew she could handle the violence poured by such unnecessary hatred by my wicked ally. If she just held on…I would find a way to get what I wanted. I would hold the world in my hands again. Just like the years before Charlotte had reminded me what the sisterhood of mermaids had been all about from the beginning.

I was right. Even in my plan. Cleo, Lewis, Zane, as well as that repulsive Drake I had almost fucked needed to be here. To see the truth. Will needed to see it. He was the one thing that had made sense in a bitter imperfect way. Will and I were so different; it was only perfect we made total sense; two soul mates destined to each other.

But they all needed to see what a fraud Emma Gilbert was and how she needed to be tore down. And they needed to see me abandon Charlotte; I was going to do that. They needed to see where my loyalty lied…I just had no idea how to abandon the only soul who was more lost than myself. She would have her retaliation. I shivered in thought of what it would take to bring Charlotte down from the revenge she-we had been planning for almost four years.

But either way; I ran in my dementia. I had no clue what the powers of fate would deal in this mind war. I was still my own broken wrath of a mess. I just thought by knowing what I wanted; the real mermaid sisterhood, the banishing of Emma…It would make sense. But it didn't.

For a short time, it did, I suppose. I ran through the halls of smoke where guests were panicking in flee. I was my terrifying image of wandering humanity. I was still attired in the tiring yet magnificent witted aura of the disheveled white dress. My hair was in tangles; my cheeks burnt red from tiredness; and my eyes. They were coated in feared insanity. Perhaps I wasn't supposed to be aware of how mental I had gone. But I was aware. But…but…In the end, it would all make sense. They would see. The world would see. I would see.

I clasped the lighter enriching my firm hands. But I knew the real power lied within my own magical entity. My powers were ones of a killer. They had been given to us for a reason. My hysteria raged on. I threatened families, shrieked madness to the guest, and I demanded they stay here or they all would die.

Then I saw Will.

. . .

He was just as frantic as I was. He had been running like madness on steroids, pinning his thoughts to the person on the other end of his phone. If I had not been so precarious: I would have heard the sharp squeak of Emma. And I would have raged. But all I could hear was his gasp and see his eyes falter upon me and stare. For too many moments for it to be normal; we locked eyes and fought the urge to run crying into each other's arms.

But he shouted my name. Again and again and the unfortunate bystanders fell to the floor, frightened of what my impulses might do. I let out a cry and I ran. It was a reaction. It was not the right time. He couldn't see me be so…heartless.

But he caught up to me. We were scorching the stairs down to the pool. I remembered the third tribute to my LA insanitized chaos. The death of the little girl who had stumbled in my way. And the tape of it. The tape I had sent for Emma to cringe and remorse at.

And I knew Will would be ashamed. But couldn't he understand they were just people? They weren't important in the magical world. They didn't have a need for existence. Will and I were the destined ones in my fate. I knew it. My heart knew it like the back of my hand. But his face. It was such a mask of pain, insecurity, and loss.

He had caught my hand. I had nowhere else to go. He was going to ruin everything.

. . .

"Will! I love you!" My cold heart transformed into it's raging plea of frightening vivid emotions. Tears were somersaulting down my cheeks. Feelings wrecked me. Just as they wrecked him.

"Bella….What have you done?" My soul thudded. Disappointment, shame…-Fear. He was _afraid _of me. But his care, his…_love _for a being he now could never understand…It had brought his courage to chase me down these whacked off halls, suites, attractions, to my pit of despair. Where he demanded answers.

"…It'll all make sense in the end." My eyes plead with him. Just as quickly as I hoped to see compassion; anger tore all over his face.

"Bella! How is killing, murdering, …" His face split in the battle of his emotions. "innocent people ever going to make sense?"

"It's fate." I whisper so carefully. "Our fate. They don't matter. We'll look back and-"

He wasn't listening. "Bella, you need…psychiatric help!"

I shifted in worry. Why couldn't he see that this was what was best in the end? …If only I could rid myself of Charlotte, and get rid of Emma…We could go back to the way things were supposed to be. The way things were only less than four days ago.

I brought his body to me. I took his arms and smoothened him out until locating his hands and holding them tightly. I went high in kissing glee. I threw my pink lips at him and took him into my mouth. And I knew it was working. He didn't say a thing. He didn't try and stop me. I could ploy him into what was real.

I was suddenly on top of him shuffling his gorgeous chest to try and get his grey shirt off when disaster struck his face. "Bella, I loved you."

I giggled. "I know. And you'll love me even more when we make love on these stairwells." I hiccupped and forced my body on his. He shuddered. Soon enough, he pushed me away and jerked.

"Bella…I loved you. You're not…you, anymore. What's…happened to you? To us? To everything?" Suddenly I felt like he was whispering to himself. "Just three days ago; You and I were laughing because of the stupidity of the rest of our College. And now...you're gone. What's happened to us?" Exasperation hit me. "I'm going to help you. I'm going to try."

Now he was chanting. He was saying that he didn't love me anymore? I couldn't summon rational thoughts.

"But you still love me, right? You know I would never go through all this trouble, if…If it wasn't what's best for us…? You…You'll always still love me…." I whimpered in whisper, desperation seeking me out.

And then that one word change my era. He said it so cautiously, so frighteningly…He replied that one bitter, "No."

I couldn't breathe. He didn't…love me…now. His face was suffocating with seriousness. When would he see? When would they all see? I couldn't handle these…devastations. I… Sobs directed my face.

I got up on my feet and away from his aura. He had ruined everything I had built up in one tiny second. I was broken; even more embedded with whipping pain. I couldn't allow myself to do anything but scream and run from the bitter truth.

But I knew. Will would always remember, by seeing the vision of fear, hatred, agony… my last words of that scene in Pool Room. "You'll regret what you said. You were supposed to be in love with me."

My skinny legs and tumble of white dress ran enriched in pain. Will failed to catch me. Just as I now knew he would.

. . .

All the doors of the Hotel were locked. And now it was time to return to Rikki's torture. Had she chosen to believe I was mad too? Or did she have the decency to see what was true; the awakened sisterhood that was without Emma? What would I be forced to sicken her with at the will of Charlotte now? The time had come.

Charlotte, Rikki, and the…guys who deemed themselves as rapists at Charlotte's command were in the same sickening positions. Charlotte as head, giggling her satisfaction of pain. I knew who Charlotte hated the most. Cleo. If this is what she burdened on Rikki, what would happen to Cleo? Or…Emma…?

The rapists in relation to Charlotte were now pulling Rikki's hair violently. I watched her beautiful tangles get beat up and her face even worse. They were tearing up her entire new flashy outfit, and Charlotte chanted agonizing words to plant poison in Rikki's broken mind.

For once, pity invested itself inside of me.

But it quickly was banished, when Rikki croaked out: "You're sick." Straight at me. I looked at Charlotte in betrayal. She smiled crookedly and I knew Charlotte had fed Rikki lies of me. And hatred poured itself in my veins. She was the only one I hated so passionately that still had control over me. And I could do nothing about it.

She leaned over to whisper in my ears, "It is time for you to give Rikki a little suicidal cutting." And she cackled. Then she handed me the dirty knife crowned backwards from her hand. She placed it to me. And my soul pounded in disability. I couldn't do this to Rikki.

But still, I walked to Rikki's disheveled form and I smiled at her. I planned her to see that I was on her side; and she should have known this. We were best friends. We were tied in a prophecy of magic. But instead she gulped and anger came so bluntly through her pores, as well as hatred pinning me. It irritated me.

I never knew I would lose it when she announced her own truth.

Her anger got the best of her. She should have kept quiet and perhaps I would have found a way out for her. But a mind trilogy resolved next. And my emotions went viral.

"You're a sick, pathetic, disgusting, terrible, _killer._" Her voice was weak but the words stung. "Whatever you think you're doing here, you can _stop._ But if you don't…I can promise that you will forever lie in the hatred of everyone, Cleo, Emma, Will, and I's hearts." She concluded exasperated.

"No." I cried softly. I was emotionally numb and sizzling of feeling at the same time. "You will see fate did this. Magic, even. You'll forgive me. You have to. I had it planned out. You, Cleo, and I would be best friends for eternity; that was how it was supposed to be. And Will and I…." Sobs were in wrath. "We were supposed to be in love forever."

She closed her eyes in a moment of tranquility until it was severed by her hateful anger-filled watering eyes. "Will will never love you. He never did.".

I heard the snickers of Charlotte in the background. She was watching my every move; finding amusement of it. And the guys were smirking in ugly ways. This was no longer the frighteningly wonderful circus where I held the ropes of my puppets; but now I was being driven by the evil controllers of my strings; my emotions.

"No." was all I could reply to Rikki's so certain belief.

"You wanna know something?" I saw acceptance glimmer in Rikki's eyes. She was stable now. But why? I nodded grimly.

"Will and I…We…" She hiccupped back an attempt to a giggle. "We fucked." Silence settled my soul. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Lies. That is what surrounded me. Numbness shattered me. I just stood and listened.

"Remember the night we saw Zane kiss Sophie?" Tears glinted in her eyes. "Will was there for me. I saved him. I was special. Perhaps, I always will be. I was the first one who ever saw him…" She shifted to a flashback but it was ended suddenly. "We made love, and then we both lied." Her eyes clung at the knife in my hand, so easily made into a thruster. "I just thought I should let you know…I enjoyed it. He did too. Will will never love you."

That was when my emotions aroused. And the puppet strings went loose. I was going into the chaos of my mind in the middle of a dark circus. Rikki was not what she appeared. She betrayed me. Cleo betrayed Charlotte. Emma was the outsider needing to be destroyed. They were all the bad ones.

When I threw over my emotions and knife at Rikki's arms, repeating over and over, taking pleasure in the wicked pain she endured; I thought of the whole entity; the sisterhood of mermaids, and the lying story of love. And I whacked it over and over again.

Then I stopped. I smiled slyly. Rikki's eyelids were fluttering. She was far from done with me. "I'm going to tell you what you are." I whispered.

I lodged the silver knife and I pierced the words so hypnotizing scarring Rikki with her lies for life. I stated simply, as the blood fell to the floor, LYING WHORE. It would forever haunt her. Before I destroyed her.

I read the fine bloody letters over again, and I smiled delicately. They were so clear and true.

If only I had the courage to admit, I had always been a hypocrite.

**A/N: OH-EM-GEE. Wow. I can not believed I finished that. Parts of me feel like Bella's chapters are confusing crap. But that is what her mind looks like, so I'll let it be. It is currently 4am in the middle of the night, but I FORCED my lazy writer skills to knock this thing out. So I really do hope you enjoy it… Nothing too harsh in the review section… You all know I love hearing your insightful comments. It's just a click away.**


	13. I Wonder What The Baby's Thinking

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Hey epic darlings! The dark and epically lovely story has returned to your eyes! {Let's see how that sounds]. You've stumbled upon the next and very controversially appealing chapter of DTDHAN. And you're in for a treat, epic lovelies… I pray this story gets more and more messed up in every chapter…and my alerts show it does. Emma Gilbert's wisdom: Behold!**

**Emma's POV:**

_After destroying my mind with only the images of the fine print: PREGNANT. PREGNANT. PREGNANT. and the confusing complex terrifying thoughts that stung after it; I fell to the floor. I didn't care one bit that tons of old-people feet had slopped their germs onto it, or that I was probably smelling the pipe that tunneled poop; I had just sobbed. Before, obviously, bending over the toilet seat to vomit._

_ I covered my head with arms. Shame was gutting me everywhere. All I could see was my drunken blurry vision of one too many parties in Europe. I had never even known the guy's name. And now…I had his child? It was too…frightening. Fear took me over. Fear and shame. I would watch the developments of an unwanted entity unless…. My thoughts stopped. Don't go there._

_ And then there was the entire whole issue concerning Bella. Damn, it wasn't an issue but a sociopathic terror. And she had looked me directly in the eyes and said it was my fault. And Lewis was cheating on Cleo. And Rikki had been raped…I couldn't handle of this hysteria-ridden torture. _

_What had happened? Just four days ago; I was relaxing in Paris wondering where my free ride of the world and life would take me next. And now…now I was in my own living Hell, with terrors so real they should only exist in nightmares. Sociopath's Nightmares._

_Had it been so wrong for me to thing about the possibility of saving myself from all that hideous wrathful torture? For the first time in my life, I thought about getting myself away from my life. It didn't seem useful or helpful to anyone…and all that came with it was dark magic, secretive friends, and an…unwanted…baby._

_Maybe, as my eyelids fell, I pretended to be falling into death…all just for a moment of pure bliss where I could believe….maybe, just maybe, it could all be over. But it had just begun._

. . .

The following events resulted in the horrific burning of our Hotel Suite. Looking at it after, I found out the suite was titled Home Suite Home. I wish I could say it was ironically correct; but it had been a long time since knowing what a real home felt like.

Would I ever have guessed this room would be a pre-cell for torture? No, _it had looked so possibly peaceful. But no, maybe that was the sounds of Will's voice. My eyes had only slivered open for him. I planned to just lie there, until someone carry me away from the life I feared, shamed, and lived. But then the closest soul to an angel's voice serenaded my name._

_ It was ironic, knowing that Lewis had been slutted up in the Hotel's Club, and that all three boys arrived at the same time. I had heard the door click, because honestly, you should be able to guess there was an odd tension of silence. Lewis, who should have been guilting it up in his mind wars, Zane who was probably still in his screwed brain of porn, cars, and cigarettes, but thinking how he might change so miraculously again for Rikki, and Will, who's mind was a mystery considering his girlfriend disappeared in insanitized frenzy._

_ I hopped from the floor. I never noticed nor checked how frizzy my hair started to stress, or how not dark, but red circles from crying surrounded my eyes. I just ran out. I hoped that maybe I could find him…and it would just be better. That was what his mumbling voice had done to me. But my footsteps shattered when I noticed the two tightly closed and locked doors of two former friends. All three of us, Cleo, Rikki, and I had closeted ourselves in different rooms, hiding away all our pasts, passions, and mostly lies._

_ I heard the slight sob of a world perhaps even more whacked up than mine. If I had been Normal Emma…or really just an Emma Long Forgotten, I would have rushed in to the sounds of a friend crying; and Rikki to be exact. Rikki didn't cry. And if she did…something truly terrible was on the horizon._

_ And then through the other secretive door, I heard the rather revolving sounds of thumping and moaning. I closed my eyes and pretended I had never heard such a disgusting thought come to life…and for Cleo. I had followed my instincts to the kitchen, only to be gutted with a coward's stance._

_ Will reached my eyes, as did Lewis. But their emotions compelled different. Lewis's begged; "You-can't-tell-Cleo-what-I've-done-but-not-because-I-don't-want-hurt-her-but-because-I-can't-be-seen-as-that-guy". And Will's gave an odd aura of "My-heart-is-breaking-and-I'm-scared-because-you-give-me-hope." At least…I hoped._

_ Zane gave me a glance with nodding knowledge. We were still the two family friends that could say we knew each other since toddlerhood. And then his eyes went in odd panic. "Where's Rikki?" _

_My mind fumbled, but I answered with exasperation. "She's, erm, in that bathroom." And then he was off. My heart leaped. One step closer to being alone with-What was I thinking about? This was Will. Boy I had just met, Boyfriend of Bella, the physco-maniac murderer who I had yet to tell anyone about. Yes, that was what I was going to talk to Will about. Nothing…nothing else. Not…even _it.

_But then somehow I found myself glaring at Lewis with hatred. This was to be expected. He was the all loveable science geek that went through the Hollywood changes and ended up cheating on my best friend; and I was the only person important in knowledge of it. Sharp and twisted words were on the tip of my tongue when he looked to the floor, personally tsked, and mumbled something about finding Cleo and Drake._

_Were my glares that intimidating? Was I wreaking of havoc of carrying the stress and freak outs of carrying an unwanted baby due to a random drunken hook-up as well as knowing the deep dark sinister side of a girl my ex-best friends had believed to be their cheerful lovely best friend. Where would any normal person go from this point?_

_Oh, shit. Will now stared with a pained expression. A numb messed up expression. An expression of unknowing. He referred to the couch, and we both sat pondering the deafening silence._

"…_You didn't find her?" I asked in a squeamish worried attempt. For moments that seemed to drag on in agony, all was silent._

"_No…" He glanced at me with a buffet of feelings. "I don't know…how I'm supposed to feel… I keep asking myself, my conscience…any type of…emotion what I'm supposed to be feeling…but all I get is this uncontrollable numbness…and it…" His eyes caught mine. "You know, I want to feel…heartbroken, scared, or at the very least angry. But…I just…don't. I don't feel anything except fear…because I don't feel anything and I should. Because emotions give us instincts, and instincts tell us what to do. And I don't know what to do." Will muttered down. He had just revealed a boiling point from his chest._

_ I licked my lips, searching for a past experience that could help me understand. Was I feeling numbness about my…_baby? _Did Will still care, or was he too knocked up into his own problems to remember he had been the one to buy the test? Was he going to ask? Why was he so quiet? Wasn't he supposed to be the golden boy that never loses his light? Oh yeah, the light can dim when your girlfriend goes mental. Did he know how crazy she truly was? Would I ever stop asking these uncontrollably unknown questions?_

_ "I think we all never know exactly what's certain in our instincts…but I think…it's how we react to situations that decides our fate…what actions represent us… Feelings can be lost in the tide." I tried to remember a time I had developed such deep thoughts and cursed them out loud. But old Emma Gilbert wasn't old soul-like. She didn't know problems, but the present Emma did. But she didn't know anything about what to do with them._

_ After this came the silence. Not one of awkward passion, but one of twisted complex thoughts wondering where'd we end up, and why we were mumbling off quotes that should only be found in soppy totally unrealistic soap operas. Then, once again, he took me by complete utter surprise._

_ "Did the test work?" I shivered with a gasp. I suppose in my mind, I had been willing him to forget as well as willing him to bring it up. I was stunned speechless._

_ "I'm sorry. That's an idiotic question; I reckon…I mean…did you take it?" I looked at his charming admirable intensely passionate eyes. And I fumbled with the English language._

_ "Yes." I answered in fear. He nodded. Could he see through me? Did he already know? Oh shit, I wanted to vomit again… Even I, Miss Intelligent Emma didn't know why an unwanted baby could cause the worst vomit sessions I have ever encountered._

_ "Do you want to talk about it?" No. Yes. No. Yes. Why didn't he understand?_

_ "Um…there's nothing to talk about…It was…It was negative." The words just flew out of my mouth. They were lies, agonizing complicated lies. Why did we all add our own lies to this terrifying nightmare of crazies?_

_ "Really?" His eyes shone relief. Did he honestly care so much about a girl he just met's sexual being? "That's…good." He added with an attempt of a grin. His beautiful flaws were still so obviously there._

_ "Yeah…" I muttered. In movies, I never understood how the pregnant-fallen girls could [A] be so irresponsible to get themselves in that position but mostly [B] after finding out the dreaded news; carry on as if it never happened. Until they started showing. That was the time when their best friend or another screamed at them they needed to take responsibility for their actions. Would their fate be the same as mine?_

_ I still felt foreign. Which was ironic because ever since I had left Australia; I had always been foreign. But here I was, back with the souls I had so adoringly called friends; and I had never felt anymore outsiderish. So alone. So scared. So broken. And the brokenness led to Will's description of numbness._

_ I wanted to tell someone. But no one fit the possibility of actually helping and easing my pain ignoring their own burning twisted plots of reality. My best friends from Paris, Naomi and Aimee were too far away and too shallow to ever understand…life. My old, or should I say ex-best friends, Cleo and Rikki were too summoned in their own tragedies…and plus; Rikki had already seen it. And her, who was the one I could expect to be the most calm and possibly, I can't believe I'm saying this, helpful without judging in this situation…had been a mess of "How-should-I=react-to-this-alien-who-I-used-to-call-a-friend-being-pregnant?" written all over her face. Maxxie wasn't the father; that I knew… Why in the world would I tell him? The dad would never even know…I never even knew his name. But considering he filmed porn as a hobby; I didn't want to. I…was completely alone…unless I follow my instincts with Will's…aura. Was it possible he felt the connection as well? But no, he was Bella's. I couldn't help screw up her mind anymore than I already did._

_ Bella had threatened to kill me. And hell, did I know she had it in her. What was I to do? Hell didn't have an instructional manual._

_ Now I was crying. And I'm no beautiful-girly-sobber. So the snotty gush came. And Will looked absolutely terrified wondering if he was supposed to ask me what was wrong, take his arms around me and soothe me, or scream "You bloody freak!" and get away from this Hell-tel._

_ "Emma…it's… Well, it's not okay…but…somehow…I know things will get better." Will tried, but I couldn't listen. I knew the madness of a mental girl and he didn't._

_ I shook my head. "No… This can't be real. These things just don't…happen. My whole life seems to be a fantasy…and I think it's coming to an end."_

_ "Don't say that!" He was suddenly flickering with fiery passion. "It's not ending…. Everything has to get bad before it gets good."_

_ "Did you think life was good with Bella?" I suddenly asked barely above a whisper._

_ "I know you can't understand… She's just the freaky missing mermaid who stole your friends." Hell, she was a lot more than that. "But…before…before a couple of weeks ago…everything was amazing. Bella was always…so happy… She never gave any signs that she…she was slowly having a breakdown. I just wonder if this is my fault. The Bella Lewis and his mate were describing…. It wasn't Bella."_

_ "You know…most, erm, serial killers appear to be the nicest person you'd never expect… I still can't believe I never heard once about her… I mean, I know I haven't done such a lovely job on staying in touch but… never mind. I…" I was having word vomit. "It's not your fault." Bella had said herself it was mine._

_ Will didn't answer but I knew he heard me. For a moment, I wanted to take my lies about the pregnancy test all back. We had these conversations, and in the moment of awakening awkwardness, there just came a sad magical connection. But we both kept quiet about it. Life seemed too complex at this point to even dare think about destroying something more with a mistaken hook-up._

_ I had to speak again. Hopefully, my courage would shine through._

_ "…If I had been…pregnant…I mean…put yourself in the most messed up twisted vision," Did I see a smile? "If you were pregnant, as a girl obviously; What would you do?" He looked at me and for a few seconds I swore he knew._

_ "Depends on the circumstances…but…Em," Who told him he could call me Em? "I still know, obviously by our…conversations…we can talk about things… Are you thinking about what could have happened…if it had not been a scare?" My soul flinched. If only it had been a scare… I suffered through enough of them through my life._

_ "Yeah… That must be it. It makes me think." My eyes trailed along the carpet. "It makes me think about everything." After a yawn, I secluded my thoughts away. I lay down on the couch, covered my eyes, and whispered; "You're nice…Will."_

_ When I opened my eyes, when we both opened our eyes; Fortunately, and unfortunately enough, we returned to the normal Emma Gilbert and Will Benjamin. And it was sadly right._

. . .

"You wanna go to a café then?" Will asked. "It's…expensing dinner time… And, um, food's good for the soul." I got up and smiled.

"I saw this sweet little Brazilian Steakhouse just a mile up over. My Mum's been there, she said it was good." I felt…almost normal now. Once I opened my eyes; it was as if I had erased all the terror of the last days.

"Oh, really? It's because your Mum liked it and not because you want to see if they might show off their just a bit too private Brazilian waxes?" I laughed with a joke.

"Yes, Em." Will chuckled. "If we can find out what the rest of the gang is havocking at this moment; maybe we can…have, oh this sounds shocking, a bit of fun!" I smiled at the thought. Maybe things could turn around. Just maybe.

"Fun sounds good. Fun sounds fantastic, in fact. You find Cleo and Lewis; I'll find Rikki and her oh-so-annoyingly shadow-follower." And there we went. It was a big old bucket of irony; after such destructive heart-to-hearts and after a mob of problems showered on us; You'd think we'd be basking in depression. But life is full of it's sobs and laughter; That's what drives us on.

But the thing was, I never found Rikki. And when Will found Cleo, Lewis, and Drake; it was apparent that they were not in our mellowing hope. They were in relationship hysteria. And what was the status of Rikki and Zane at that moment? I thought I'd never know. Pity was I never noticed the letter folded on the ground directing Cleo, Bella and I to it's wrath.

. . .

It was in those remaining seconds of confusion; the lights went off, the hotel seemed to shake, and I heard Bella's haunting scream over the intercom that would direct the hotel into it's insanitized madness.

. . .

I quote Bella directly. "Charlotte! Please!" They were working together. It had clicked. But for what exactly? They weren't your typical maniacs. They seemed like the sickos that would have a plan. Damn, they did.

But it was Charlotte who lead the malevolence that the intercom followed so directly.

"Poor little unfortunate guests… I have sad news for all of you. The owners and workers who promised you a safe little vacation are dead…well, they will be in a few seconds." Evil laughter escaped her mouth. "And you ask why? You ask who's the blame? Three titles. Emma Gilbert. Rikki Chadwick. Cleo Sertori. Happy Death. It's open season on mermaids, and I'm hunting."

. . .

After that, I chose to believe Charlotte and Bella had taken Rikki. And it was basically true. After a trip to a remnant of Paradise. But these thoughts were far from my mind, after puking out what felt to be guts, I scrambled to find my friends and cling together in terrifying fate.

The suite was dark. And as I still heard awful sounds of shouting; from Cleo, Lewis, Drake, and Will. My deepest fear was to be left alone. I raced in the direction of the door to come face to face with a tormented arrange of events. Cleo crying into a pillow in very little but a bra; even her wig was pulled off, Drake, his chest unlashed in nudity, as well as a pillow covering his privates, Lewis looking stunned into the word vomit that seemed to haunt us, and Will standing there with a look of WTF has just happened.

You probably think I'm going to explain to you now how disgusted I felt to know Cleo and Drake had had somewhat of an affair, but no. I had no time to react. And as my memory blurred, Cleo and Drake covered their shamed selves, Lewis started sputtering, and Will just looked at me, and whispered ever so slightly frightened, "Where's Rikki?". But I couldn't answer.

Our first mistake was to launch around the hell-tel searching for them. Because where we left, they would come. And hideousness would take place there.

. . .

Somehow, Cleo and I ended up holding hands. No exact words or conversations were remembered except for the distinct call of Rikki and Zane's names. Not even thoughts. We just ran in motion of fear, hate, and the unknown. I remember seeing Will go berserk as his eyes found the girl of my haunting; dirty blonde, spookily in that white dress, now smeared with blood. And he separated from us. I cried his name out. But he wouldn't listen. His heart would always be hers.

. . .

Soon enough, we smelled the burning. It was coming from someplace in the hotel.

I can tell you one thing about our frantic cries and running masses; It felt scarier than any horror movie I'd ever witnessed. It felt like Harper's Island + Nightmare on Elm Street + The Craft put on crack multiplied by a thousand. But maybe it was because this was reality. And the worse part was I couldn't even try to mutter that it was just a dream, or that it can't be true.

It's not that you don't know what you have until it's gone. You always knew what you had. You just never thought it would be taken away from you or that certain terrifying situations could ever become real enough to be unlashed of it's beast upon you.

. . .

We stopped running. Cleo started sobbing in my arms, and I did too. Our voices were muffled in despair, but I knew that I couldn't leave her. And she couldn't leave me. I remembered what it was like again. To have that inseparable bond. I just needed Rikki to hold my hand and tell me my teeth were grinding in attempt of a smile for it to be complete.

It was right about the time of the lights going back on; that the second intercom message was spread around.

"Ac-hem…Good Evening Sluts and Studs: The wickedness is just beginning. For the poor little mermaids who even with their legs stuck together somehow manage to spread their legs for mortals they've cursed…Stop running. Stop searching. It must suck to be stuck in the Land of Unknown… Well, it must suck to not be an evil genius, period. But, now I have some instructions. Emma, Cleo…We're all waiting… Me in venganence. Bella in insanity. Rikki in agony. Report to the spa. And maybe, just maybe; all the innocent lives of this Hotel are to be saved…but obviously there's no getting out. I've trapped you all, and for my plan. Endgame results in my glory, and all the little slutty mermaids do what I say…and perhaps, just perhaps…I won't kill you one by one. Rikki's begging. You wouldn't want to lead a sister to death…"

Then as the faces of the innocence found in LA's infamous Hell-tel went to stare, as my thoughts spiraled in denouement, Rikki's scream echoed the halls, Cleo screeched recklessly; I was left in my horror.

Cleo and I shared the stare of mermaid-knowledge. We both knew what we had to do. We just didn't know the fatally twisted consequences of it.

**A/N: Um…OKAY. Even I get shocked at the twisted disturbing things I find in my brain. Look out, cause Charlotte and Bella's torture [of the girls, and their own minds] is about to truly fully begin… I obviously had to tell what happened with Emma before Rikki's kidnapping and the burning of their suite [and Rikki's letter, mind you]. …Is it even possible to say the troubles just began? Review epic darlings.**


	14. The World Of No Happy Endings

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee**

**A/N: Wow, look how far we've come. I really want to thank all of the reviewers, readers, and supporters of this story so much! You've transformed it from a writer's block challenge to an amazing twisted insanity spiraling tale of dark mermaids, and an even darker one out for vengeance. I hit 101 reviews with the last chapter and can not be more ecstatic! Also, please read: Before you go on, I plan there to be a very dark, possibly very graphic scene in this chapter… You're probably thinking, Are you kidding me? I've read all your other chapters and hardly flinched…but this scene might…uh, leave you stuck in utter shock, silence, and at loss for your mind…for many reasons. Rated M, if you haven't got the hint. Please, disturbingly or not, enjoy. **

**Cleo's POV:**

If I hold her hand really tight and close my eyes; make the darkness silent, I can almost pretend I'm in a happy place…a place where everyone's happy and nothing terrible ever happens. But when she sharply pulls, I get reminded of all I have already lost, and all I have to lose…all to one vengeful socio-pathic mermaid who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. But, the question was… What did she want?

She had already stolen Bella away from a happy sane life, and created a dark insane version of her. She had already degraded Rikki into a place where fire couldn't burn her way out of all the scars that would forever be there. …Charlotte hated me most. What would my fate be? In a year, when you heard the name Cleo Sertori, would you think the lucky survivor of Charlotte Watsford's insanitized plotting or the poor girl who had a tragic evil death within this plot? Did I really want to be either?

All I could do now was squeeze Emma's hand tight, hide my tears away, and hopefully save a lost mermaid best friend…or two. Although neither would ever be the same again. We trailed through the halls, walking past each distressed face stare at us in a different form of twisted agony. We walked past the shadows of faces and stopped at the cold room titled Spa; the ultimate relaxation getaway. Ha. Not.

There was only the choice to go into the room where both of our twisted destinies await. Right as I was about to step forward, into the dark gloom, finally be a leader; Emma stopped me. And I look at her, and start worrying for the first time; not about Emma, but about the supposed baby inside of her. Rikki wouldn't have lied… What if the baby gets hurt due to Charlotte's (and Bella's?) twisted vengeance?

"Cleo. Stop. Just this second. I… I need to tell you something." I turn and look at her, smile an understanding twirl of my lip. Wait for whatever insanity she is about to screech out. It can't change that much. I already know, and we're already in the middle of insanity.

Lewis cheated on me with tons of American girls. I cheated on him with his new best mate Drake. Where even was he? (Lewis and Drake?) Rikki got raped by Charlotte's swarm of evil, and finally admitted her love to Zane, at least I think. It didn't matter since she got mermaid-napped by Charlotte and Rikki and I's ex-best friend turned bat-shit crazy, Bella. And now, hopefully, Emma was going to tell me her own secret.

"Cleo, I'm…" Emma opened her mouth wide. Her blue eyes were in war spiraling to look anywhere but in my own broken brown ones. "I…" She can't say it. Should I hold her hand tighter and tell her that I already know, and that it's all going to be okay? Would that be lying?

_Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. _I will her to say.

Instead, she breezes out a, "I think I…like Will." I bat my eyes, pretending I didn't hear that remarkably weird statement that she's used to cover up the space she should have told me she was pregnant. I wait, and still nothing but expectant silence.

Emma goes on. "I know, it's miraculously weird timing…but, I just thought…um, I don't know… Best friends should tell each other who their almost-lover is in a life-or-death situation…" Emma's fragile. So fragile, it scares me. What ever happened to the predictable dependent Emma who always made sure Rikki and I had our homework done? What happened to Bella? What happened to Rikki? What happened to me?

We were put into a dark twisted real world where there are absolutely no happy endings.

And, Emma's still waiting. I know what she should have told me. But, we don't have time to have a hissy fit over that. Rikki could be dying. Anxiety quickly catches up with me.

"That's…shocking…" I'm not sure what to say. "But Bella's not just going to disappear, you know? Her mind and heart, and hell, maybe even her fucking soul might be gone now…, but when this is over… When we're the survivors, cause we are survivors," If I say it enough, maybe I'll start to believe it, "Bella will still be here. And…we have to fix the broken pieces of her. At least…Will, Rikki, and I will." Maybe. If Rikki isn't lost in this game…

Emma stares at me with ridicule. She believes I'm going mad, and I understand that. But, she won't ever know the delightful happy girl that was Bella Hartley, my best friend. And there's nothing I can do to change that.

Without another word, still holding hands as friends binded with a secret growing colder than death… We hurry into whatever the world with no happy endings brings us.

This world, or heated up spa room brings us an entrancingly beautiful Bella Hartley. Eerie. Wearing that same white dress that makes her a damsel in distress, only, she's causing the distress and she can't turn it off. This time, her damsel dress has blood on it. Emma gasps. Who's blood? Rikki…? No. No. It can't be.

(Lewis said that she went mental and cut Drake up). Why believe Lewis? He's a liar. (You are too). Am I going mental? (We're all a bit fucked up in the head, aren't we?). Only if we pretend we aren't.

Quickly, I rush to my senses. "Bella! You have no idea how worried I was…" I offer a slow smile, but Bella's glaring at Emma's stomach with an evil amount of dark substance-evilness? Could she possess such a quality? By Emma's rapidly anxious breathing, I know I'm the only one that can ease the insanity leaking out from the air.

"Bella, it's all going to be okay. We're going to get away from Charlotte, save Rikki… Do you know where Rikki is, Bella?" I ask. I try to sound like a friend, the cheery Cleo, friend of everyone. The girl I used to be.

"Rikki's getting her punishment for being a whore." Bella said with a cracked giggle, but she isn't smiling. I almost stop breathing. Emma keeps blinking as if she can't handle such madness. Neither can I. Bella does on, "Emma will get hers soon too…" This time, a smile creeps upon her once innocent face. "But….Cleo, I'm sorry about what's going to happen to you. I don't hate you, you aren't one of the evil ones…. But…Charlotte wants what she wants….and she's going to get it." A slow tear falls from Bella's left eye.

Emma looks as if she's about to faint. I have to take control for once in my life; I have to save my friends, insanity suffocating them or not.

"Bella, what does Charlotte want? What does she thinks she's going to get?" I believe if I focus one subject of madness at a time; Bella might answer. Bella might give some truth to all the lies she's been hiding.

Bella stares at Emma, numb evil ice tipping her eyes, pouring the soul I once knew with hatred, and loss… "You took everything away from her. Her mermaid abilities. Her family. Her sanity. _Lewis. _And, one by one, she's going to take all those things away from you…starting with Rikki. Then Emma, and that mini-slut inside of her-" Bella is going to go on, but I stop her.

"It won't work, Bella. Charlotte and you are working together, for whatever reason I don't know of… But, Bella, as long as you're alive…it won't work. I'll still have someone I love here." Bella looks as if she is going to flat-line into hysteria; disbelief brimming her eyes. I know I got to her. And, I know I'm not exactly lying. I did love her once.

"But that girl you loved, your best friend… She's gone. And, she's never coming back. Mum's gone. Dad's gone. Sanity. Gone. Rikki's friendship's gone. Will's love's gone. And then, me. Plop. Gone." Silence fills this void of madness.

"I don't believe that, Bella." I finally whisper. I lift my hand from Emma's and reach out to Bella. She tentatively touches it, unsure of everything. "I believe we can find that happy girl again, and she'll be whole, and my best friend, just like we always promised we'd be." I'm not sure if I'm lying or not, or even if I should be. I just want a sane Bella again. I want Rikki safe. I want to be away from here.

I wonder what Emma's thinking at my replacing of her hand with Bella's, but I let the thought go. Bella is starting to hold on, which gives me hope. "Maybe, Cleo. Maybe."

And, then this fantasy put into this world of no happy endings comes to an end. Emma scoffs; her anger is uncontrollable and she can't stand it any longer.

"Don't lie, Cleo. Bella is a life-ruining mental cake. We're here to save Rikki, and then to leave Charlotte and you to hell's fate, or police. Cleo, Rikki, and Will have all already left you." Emma says, with a thin line of a smirk. What is she doing? Doesn't she know playing with the fragile evil tends to tip evil to all ends?

"You're right, Bella. You'll be gone. In jail, maybe even a death sentence. But, hey, I'm sure someone as fucked up as you wouldn't mind all too much." Emma finishes. I see fiery anger seize Bella, and I get frightened. There's a menace in her green eyes that I've never seen before. What will she do with it?

Abruptly, Bella pinches my hand and throws it away. She turns away from both Emma and I; leads us down the hall. I can hear her whisper, "Charlotte is waiting for you."

A dark-minded girl wafts in a spotlight; shining on her in the middle of complete darkness.

Charlotte was waiting; her hair was still a dark flame of red, her eyes still evilly ember-and a flash. The dark original mermaid and her friends-the messages. Ember eyes. Evil. And a sister that is not true. I had a gut's feeling that this sister was Bella, but was I supposed to destroy her just because she fell of a path and entered us into this twisted world? Perhaps, but nothing's set in stone yet.

"Hello, Cleo." Once I hear Charlotte's voice, I want to disappear. She is the darkness that has created this world; She is the breathing menacing cruel evil of the world. This is all her fault. She has turned Bella sociopathic, I know it. She has brought hurt and madness into all of us; our eyes will never shine without pain ever again, if we even get out of this hotel. This girl, Charlotte Watsford, wants something. Probably torture. Probably sick satisfaction. And, I know we can't give it to her without us being destroyed. Which won't happen. Can't happen.

"Emma…" Charlotte's smile is just as slick. "You looked a bit different in the last video I saw of you…" A sly sick deluded giggle. "Nevertheless, that's all in the past, isn't it, mermaids? The fun is all right here, right now. Want to start playing?"

I want to slap her, cry my heart's desire out, hide under a rock, and most of all; I want to destroy Charlotte. We've done it once; we can do it again. Too bad Bella was added in to this imperfect recipe of disaster.

"We're not playing a game, Charlotte." Emma speaks, because I cannot. "You're going to show us Rikki, we're going to do whatever it takes to help her get away from you, and then… we're all going to leave here and try to live our lives in peace."

"Ha. Ha." Charlotte chimes. She reveals a remote with control buttons on it. She presses a button and smirks. "You're not the one holding the strings, so therefore, this is a game, and I'm winning."

Rikki rises from the darkness, and I screech. Emma looks like she needs to vomit, and she does. It fills the floor beside me, but it's hardly the most disturbing sight here. Rikki. Tied up, limited of all control. Each of her hands tied in a twirled knotty rope. No fire to burn her way out of here. Her clothes are torn; broken, just like I expect she will forever be. There's some sort of machine harvesting her body. So many monsters, surrounding her in nude man's form. But they aren't; they're creatures of the night. And they're repulsively destroying every tiny piece of the Rikki we used to know. Blue eyes, so innocent, so shameful; they stare straight at Emma and I.

And her wrist. _L y i n g W h o r e . _The same twisted form of the two letters that were engraved on my own wrist-that the moon gave me. I gasp. The moon and it's dark mermaid were trying to warn me. B.C. Bella, and Charlotte. A deadly combination. Rikki's soul seemed to be dead already.

I could only sit there, in weakened state, watching my strongest best friend being put in such a weak degrading situation. Emma was fighting to get words out.

"You get her out of those ropes and away from those dicks right now!" Emma screeches. Rikki shrieks a whimper through her taped mouth as a lighter starts burning near her chest.

"Please, Charlotte!" I'm in hysteria. I know whose actual fault this is. This has nothing to do with Emma, Rikki, or Bella, not really. This is about what I 'stole' from Charlotte. This is all my fault.

"Let her go." I whimper. "Let her go, please. She's not the one you want to hurt, and you know this. This is all because of me…and," I gulp, "how I stole Lewis from you. You want me. So, _please, _let her go." I'm a crying breakdown, and I see stray tears fall from Rikki's own eyes and I know I have saved her from the death of numbness.

In all this madness, I don't even notice that Bella and two of the monsters had disappeared.

"Hmmm…I don't know, Cleo. Rikki was the one who hated my music, insulted me, ruined any possible friendship I could have had with you all…and, not to mention, she was such a little slut she had to fuck Will…"

Emma coughs, eyes in disbelief. I'm in shock but we don't have time to worry about her petty somewhat crush right now. I have to save someone for the first time in my life.

"And I'm the one who stole everything from you, made the plan to get rid of your mermaid powers, stole your locket, your grandma's legacy, Lewis… I'm the one you want." Emma's hand has crept back to hold mine, but I know it can no longer keep me safe.

"Nice honesty, Cleo. I suppose…" Charlotte turns to face Rikki. "Dean… Dean's perverted friends?" The monsters turn and give her a smile that makes me shiver. "Tell Rikki her punishment might soon be over…before the end, of course." A giggle. "Cleo, since we've got to the dirt, get on your knees."

I stare at her, wondering if she's for real. What does this mental evil girl have in store for me? "Now." She shouts.

I slowly, crawl myself into a position upon the spa's floor.

"Emma." Charlotte signals the monsters to take hold of her, and they force her to the wall. She struggles to flatten her hand, freeze them; but they curl her hand into a fist, and keep it locked tight. I'm in the middle. Center of troubling attention.

"Cleo…It's time you've admitted that Lewis and I are meant to be." Charlotte says, almost as if she's in a daze of fairytales. I realize; this is her fairytale. The wicked witch (me) and her allies (Emma and Rikki) die, and she gets her prince (Lewis). Does death have to be the end?

Suddenly, Bella floats in. Behind her; two monsters straddling a kicking (in all his science-geekiness delight) Lewis. Lewis's face, which was so angry before, when he saw the outcome of Drake and I, is now so relieved, so happy...to see that I am alive, safe. For the time being.

Then his eyes meet Charlotte. Hers go mad into passionate love. And he goes into terrified dread.

"Hello Lewis." She smiles such a disgusting sweet smile. The monsters let go of him, thank god. He now offers me his hand. What does he plan to do? And am I banished of my anger that he cheated? In these situations, should I be?

Lewis's closeness to me displeases Charlotte. But, she tries to keep cool. "Cleo has something to tell you, don't you, Cleo?" I'm confused. What does she want me to say?

Then, suddenly, cold hands sink into my shoulders. I shudder. Cold hands of Bella. Her mouth, raspy in insanity, whispering secrets into my ear. _Tell Lewis that he's too good for you. That he deserves Charlotte. He shouldn't want you because you're a freaky ugly slutface who shouldn't be alive because of all the misfortune you bring to everyone. Say that you wish you could kill yourself because of how you screwed up the perfect fairytale; Charlotte and Lewis. And, now, they should allow themselves to be free and passionate with each other, and torture your soul, cause you're such an ugly whore._

I remember each word as if it is a song. I have no choice but to follow it.

"Lewis… You're too good for me." This calls everyone's attention. Hopeful that this could end okay. "You deserve Charlotte." I lie, "You shouldn't want me because I'm a freaky ugly…slutface who, who, shouldn't be…alive, because of, um, all of the misfortune I bring…to everyone." I realize that one sentence is true. "I wish…I wish I could kill myself be-because I screwed up. I screwed up you and Charlotte's p-perfect fairytale… You," Tears. Crashing. "You should let yourselves be free…and p-passionate with each other…in front of me, to torture my soul…because, I'm such an ugly, really ugly…whore." And Charlotte has won. I know she has.

Charlotte's giggling hysterically, and Lewis looks scared, as he should be. I'm in the middle of the spa, a sobbing mess; Emma and Rikki, the two strongest girls I have ever met, are tied up and their control has been taken away from them; Bella, the insane siren, rooted in the middle of these chaos. Lewis. The object of lust and desire. He's the only one that can really give Charlotte what she wants.

"Isn't she so honest! At least she has _some_ sense!" A crack in Charlotte's laugh. Flaws. Lewis is torn.

"Honey! You didn't answer my, oh fuck it, doesn't matter. I've been waiting forever to be in your arms again. We can make passionate love…in front of them all, show them how we're meant to be. How this is what destiny wants!" Charlotte screams in ecstasy.

Lewis gulps. "Charlotte...what are you talking about?" Aw, for all the smarts he has, he really is a dumb boy.

"Our lustful passionate amazing love, of course." Charlotte answers. Bella is breathing heavy in my ear, and both Rikki and Emma are in compromising situations.

"We have to make Cleo jealous. We have to show them all the brilliance of our love for me to feel really vengeful! They all have to pay. And, we'll show them. This is what they get, what _she _gets, for tearing us apart."

It clicks in Lewis's mind, but his blue eyes still waver to me. After all these happenings, he's still looking for my permission in this life-or-death situation? He didn't ask for my permission when he was fucking every single Cali fake-tanned bitch he could find. I, slowly, nod.

Lewis smiles at Charlotte. "Baby, I'm gonna rock your world like I should have years ago. You ready," He winces, "Pumpkin?" Her eyes electrify of desire. She nods.

I can hear a snort of a hidden laugh from Rikki. Even in this wretched situation, she finds Lewis's fake-sex-talk funny? Ohmyshit. I'm going to watch my true love have sex with my sworn enemy… What comes after this? Freedom? My soul whispers not.

She positions herself on top of him, gripping his clothes like the vicious monster she is. She unbuttons his plaid shirt; smears evil kisses down his chest and to where his boxers stops. Does she not notice he's staring at me the entire time? He stops her. Rage is now deep within her ember eyes. I search for a sign from the moon, the dark mermaid, but all I get is disgust, sadness, and fear. Incredible fear.

"Charlotte…pumpkin… Why don't you, uh, show off your beautiful body to all these disgusting mermaids…?" He's completely lying, but that doesn't make me feel better. She spirals in glee.

"You think mermaids are disgusting? I don't have to be one to please you?" He answers her with a petrifying kiss on her ear.

"Of…course not. Anything unlike you is very much disgusting. In fact… We should just leave those animals here, and leave together. We don't need any of them. We should just live together…for all of eternity, and forget them, forever." He's slipping her out of her own dress. Their bare bodies mixed together is suffocating me into disgust. I can't get out it.

I know what he's doing. Planning to get her away from us all. But, it won't work.

She just smiles. She slips her head to where she believes he needs constant pleasing. She's right. I'm jealous. Lewis and I never got to that part of love. Will we ever? Would I ever want to, after witnessing this?

She's sucking him, completely… And it's hard to pretend there isn't a form of twisted pleasure exploding on his face. I'm crying, I realize. And when…when Lewis…finishes upon Charlotte's pale evil array of atoms placed on a face; I feel an urge to slip away into death. Maybe the end would be nice, as long as I'd be the one to choose it…

Then Charlotte whispers, as her place of lost undies meets his, "We're going to kill them all. Cleo last. And you're going to have so much fun with it."

A different explosion occurs on Lewis's face. Anger. Ear-splitting anger. He lets out a breath of anger, and pushes her off him, slaps her onto the floor. "You messed up girl! I won't let you hurt Cleo, or any of the girls!"

Everyone is in a disarray of shock. The monsters have temporarily left their hands off their prisoners, shocked that Lewis just hit Charlotte. As am I. Bella breathes louder into my ear. Silence is uttered in the room for the passing of moments.

Charlotte squeals, "No. No. NO! You can't do this to me! You can't! You fucking Lewis! YOU ARE MINE. I did this all for you! Don't you understand that? You're going to become just as obsessed with me as I'm obsessed with you, and we're gonna fucking live in my fairytale where all these mermaid bitches are dead! Do you understand? Do you understand?" Now snot pours from Charlotte's nose. Her cries are devouring the room.

"No, Charlotte. I said no." Lewis replies, so sharply, so calmly; it scares me. "You'll never be Cleo." He says. My heart flurries, until I see complete nothingness take hold of Charlotte's eyes.

"Just. Let. Let me, Lewis? Let me please you. That's all I've ever wanted to do." Charlotte replies, so softly. The same nothingness in her eyes. A giggle from Bella, in my ears.

"No-" But Lewis is cut short. Entirely. Cut short. Charlotte has pounced upon him; destroying the most private part; With one single sharp strike of the knife, veiled in the fallen pocket of her dress; blood is erupting. She cut it…She cut it off. Blood. Too much blood. Denial floods through me.

Charlotte's cackling, then sobs erupt from her. I cry as well. "See this, Cleo? This precious piece of Lewis! It's your fault I took it from him! You want it! I bet you do!" She takes it, feels it with squeezing twists and turns, then throws; it hits me and falls into my hands. I shake my head and let go. So much blood. No. No. No.

Lewis's face is slowly oozing in and out of consciousness. I run over, straddle Charlotte out of my way. I take hold of him, and sob. "Lewis! Lewis! Can you hear me, sweetie? Please, Lewis. Hold on. Hold on to me." All I get is a wavering closing of eyes. I still feel his grip; holding so tightly; he won't let go.

Then, I feel the hands of the monsters. All of them. "You pissed off the Queen, now let's see what fun we can have with you!" The monsters seize me, push me away from Lewis's fading form. They're on top of me, and I close my eyes. Pretend they aren't shifting my clothes; my soul. Pretend the darkness isn't real.

Suddenly, gasps erupt in the room. Fire is all over the monsters of men, destroying them to bits. They're screaming and I back away. Rikki. Her hands are free. Bella has untied them, and looks quite confused. Rikki now controls the fire. "Nobody messes with my mermaid besties." She says, quietly.

I smile in joy of victory. And, then I rush over to Lewis. Still drifting in a bloody mess.

"I'm sorry, Cleo. But I owe her." I hear Bella's voice, but I'm too busy helping Lewis sit up, hugging him to near death… He's whispering, "I love you, Cleo. Love Cleo."

Suddenly, the blood is shattering in a different form. It's red substance-red jelly blood. Lewis… Bella is destroying Lewis's chance to live. Why? Why is there such evil surrounding us? Why…

Lewis's eyes shut. His body flails to the spa's floor. The blood jelly stops flowing. I move my hand to Lewis's neck, searching for a pulse. No pulse. No Lewis. No hope. No love. No life.

Lewis McCartney, my true love, is dead. And looking at the new unveiled smile spread across Charlotte's face of evil, I know; She has won. And the game's hardly even begun.

**A/N: Told you it would be…uh, not your normal I-can-handle-anything-chapter. Hope I didn't disturb you just a tad too much this time, then again, I kind of hope I did. So, a murder (one of the most horrifying kinds) has taken it's toll…what else might happen in the next aura of darkness? Review to find out. Give me your disgust, shock, sobbing, happiness (?), but most definitely; your loveliness of telling me all your inner-thoughts on this story's tragic horrid new chapter. xoxo.**


	15. Love Is Like Falling Off A Balcony

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee**

**A/N: Another bolt of insanity and emotional wreckage of revenge, love, friendship, loss, remorse, and evilness closer to the end. I want to thank all the amazing readers and reviewers of this story; your reviews always give me inspiration to continue this story of damaged mermaids and a darkness that surrounds them. I could never have guessed I'd reach the 100+ reviewer mark, and especially could never believe you would improve my writing so much, and help me make this story so much more wonderful, with a very special direction for disaster. So…enjoy…and review me away. **

**Rikki's POV:**

The room was filled with unbearable evil. Lewis was lying on the floor, a soul now gone. Cleo was sobbing, all her hope of happiness gone. Emma at the wall, her glow of promise very much gone. Bella, in the midst of the chaos, sanity gone. Charlotte, all innocence gone, and evil reeking. And then there was me. Imperfect damaged broken me, having everything I've ever known completely gone.

When the doors banged open of the spa, and my Prince Of Misunderstood Darkness came in with my Mistaken Light Who Drove Me To Have Scars, I almost believed I could be saved. It was Zane and Will, walking in on the mess. I wanted to hide; I couldn't let them see me like this. But, Zane already had.

I watched how his eyes steamed from relief to complete dread and horror. He eyes me, and then abruptly to Lewis's lifeless nude body on the floor. And suddenly, I was numb and I needed to hide away from his eyes that screamed that there was something wrong with me. I close my eyes… It was all in my head, and even though the ropes has been untied; they were still suffocating me, so much, for these moments, I just wished I could die.

But, then, I knew, that as Rikki Chadwick, I had to keep fighting. I open my eyes to unveil a whole new image of happenings. Still a sobbing Cleo. Still an edgy Emma. Still a lost Bella. Still an evil Charlotte, but now… Now, Zane and Will held up two guns; Will's aimed at Charlotte, Zane's aimed at the evil men floating around the room, now still very much floating around me. What were Zane and Will planning to do? Were they going to kill Charlotte and the other evils? Was that a bad plan?

"Free the girls safely to us, and we won't have to shoot you." Zane says, threat entering his voice with no hiding of his rage. I'm surprised when the evil…rapists around me start loosening their grip on me, and Charlotte's eyes go panicked. Even though they had a knife, bondage equipment, and a jellifying of blood power…They didn't have a gun? Then I realize… This wasn't in Charlotte and Bella's plan, neither was Lewis dying, I realize as numb tears erupt in all of us.

Will's a disarray of emotions as he focuses on the Bella behind Charlotte; veiling herself away, and the forced Emma against the wall. He edges the gun closer to Charlotte, "I want you to leave the girls alone, and get out right now. You're not going to hurt anyone else."

Zane adds, "So tell your evil bastards to get the fuck away so we won't have to murder you in the most painful slow death possible." He's full of rage, and frightening… I know he's trying to save me, but he wouldn't really kill someone…would he? Would I? Doesn't he realize that I've never wanted to be saved? I thought that I would never need a hero… I promised myself, in fact.

Charlotte's a mess; Lewis's unexpected…end has touched and shocked her. All her horrific actions…maybe even Charlotte wasn't aware of how evil she really was. She stares at both Zane and Will, dead coldness in the eyes… Bella now sits on the floor, hiding her insane mind into her knees…too ashamed? She's ashamed of how Will might see her, that's just it. I want to screech. This disaster was never meant to happen.

"Release Emma." Comes Charlotte's first slow agreement. The bastards remove their grip on Em, and she awkwardly stands behind Will, with an expression that is never supposed to appear on her face. Fear. Bloody fear…and this causes Zane to get even more angry. Meanwhile, Cleo's still a sobbing wreck. I want to comfort her, but there is absolutely no way how to tell her any of this will ever be okay…because it won't.

"Now get those bastards off of Rikki before I have to slaughter them all myself." Zane spits. He's doing it for show… It's his rage coming out to play, but I can't pretend I'm not uncomfortable by it. I want to sob into his arms, and I want to push Zane away… How can I want those two things at the same time?

Charlotte hiccups. "Rikki…may now be released." I gasp, and their grubby hands are off me. No more evil prints smothering me. But…when I look down at myself; ripped dress, bruises covering my body, scars screaming _lying whore_… I know evil has had it's lasting effect. I, without a thought, run to Zane. And suddenly, he's holding me as I close my eyes, and I don't care about not being strong anymore… I just to want Charlotte and Bella to know how it's like to be ruined. In Zane's arms, my hand slithers out… It's aimed at the certain lost girl who crafted liar and whore into my skin. I need my own vengeance… I deserve it.

The room gets a vibe of steaming up, and I know the fire is about to erupt…until suddenly, Zane grabs my hand; a gentle touch, and kisses me on my forehead, with only a whisper of, "We're gonna fix this hurt without hurting them, okay, princess?"

_Princess? _Since when am I a princess…? With a faint smile, and resting closed eyes, I nod. We still need Cleo to be 'released' from her stance of crying on the floor…

"Now Cleo." Will spats, but I know his mind must be wandering to the fairytale land Bella and him used to live. I know Will doesn't want to believe that's all gone. Guys who fall in love with mermaids have a tendency of wanting to save the mermaids as well…which causes problems for stubborn ridiculous mermaids… A mermaid like I was. Now, I'll never be the same.

"No." Comes Charlotte's crooked voice. "I don't even know if your preppy little guns there have bullets in them…" She has gained some strength, but from where? The evil men surround her, and start pondering this possibility… _Zane, please have some bullets in those guns._

"You want proof, bitch?" Zane replies, and before Charlotte can muster a response, there is a sheer gunshot aimed at the top of the opposite wall… There are definitely bullets in the guns. But, no one knows but me that Zane won't use the bullets to hurt anyone, not even evil…

Charlotte gasps. Her game is starting to get twisted into what she didn't believe it would be. Cleo is not saying a word, still eyes on Lewis. Denial, anger, sadness, horror all combined in her beautiful once innocent brown eyes. Emma nears her, hand out to hold…

"Come on, Cleo. We're gonna survive this; Everything's going to…" Emma never finishes, but Cleo does.

"Everything's going to be okay! Lewis is dead, and everything's going to be okay! NO… It's never going to be okay or right again because he's gone! You, Rikki, Will, Zane, hell even Bella, might survive this…but I'll always be dead in my world. Without Lewis, there's…"

"There is a point!" I cry, shocked by my shriek. "Lewis would have wanted you to go on living life, being the Cleo we all adored… The last words," before I can go on to say they were that he loved Cleo, Charlotte screeches.

"The last words mean nothing! Nothing. Cleo is staying with me, and I'll decide what torture she'll need to endure for the rest of her life for making me lose Lewis. This is all her fault… Everything is because of Cleo, and now I will enjoy my revenge." Charlotte sneers, now having every evil dream insight back again. She kicks Bella's hiding sobbing form on the floor…

"Bella! Show the pathetic lovers of the mermaids that their little guns are nothing compared to our wrath." Bella's head lifts, and she looks at the ground…away from Will's eyes, judgment, hatred, and lost love.

"She's right." Bella slurs. "Our wrath will always beat you all." Her voice is timid yet icy…knowing darkness of different worlds.

And, then, Will has a breakdown. "No, Bella! You don't have a wrath with her! You can't! You were in love with me! That can't just change… You couldn't have been pretending… Why the fuck are you doing this to us?" Will starts suffering massive deep breaths. "To me? Why would you do this to me?" And with that, he shakes his head in utter horror, and lifts his gun, aimed at Charlotte. Everyone's eyes are stolen to the act, and how so quickly, the bullet with it's ring soars the air…right into…Charlotte's half brother…

He flails to the ground. A dead monster. I can't help but smile, and then shiver. I then proceed to hide my own head away into Zane's chest and his aroma of misunderstood danger. Maybe, in a few moments, this can all be over.

When I peer back at the scene, Charlotte is terror in a red-headed evil girl form. "Bella, do away with their guns." Bella raises her hand, a queen of power… _Don't hurt my true love. _Please _don't hurt my true love._

Zane is the first victim… He staggers to place me down on the ground… His hand; blood is being jellied underneath the surface. She has to stop. Please stop… I mentally beg. Then Zane drops his gun with losses of breath. Finally, his face is not put forth in menacing pain but in Zane's normal eyes that stare at me, and then proceed to spring me up upon the ground back into his arms… I sway, and then whisper to tell him; "I can stand for the moment…"

And then the same action happens to Will. His jellied blood squirming around inside his hand… A thundering drop of a weapon. Will, though, is shocked and horrified by Bella's wicked actions. He wishes not to be afraid, but he is… Just like all of us.

Bella then grabs the guns with her insanitized hands, and continues staring long and hard at the complex ground. She's ashamed, and I'm glad. Horrifically glad.

"Now…that this is settled," Charlotte grinds her teeth, fighting for control of the game we had a mini-advance in. But, if only we knew, the game had just begun. There was far more wicked pain to endure, and it was waiting for us. "You…may leave." Charlotte says, a raspy statement vibrating through the air. "But…Cleo will stay here, and she will pay."

Cleo, still on the floor, next to Lewis, doesn't move at all. Zane, Will, Emma, and I don't either. And then Bella screeches, "You heard her! Just get out! Do you want to die!" And with that, Charlotte takes one gun and aims it at us. "Leave or on the count of three…" And then the counting starts.

_One_. We stare at Cleo with gasps and cries, willing her to move and stay at the same time.

_Two_. We start scurrying to the spa's exit.

_Three_. We try to leave this disaster all behind with one door slam.

And, for those moments, I am free. So is Zane. And Will. And Emma. A new sense of survival pulses through me.

There's silence as we all stare at each other, each wondering what type of possible evil could lie within our souls. Will murdered someone, a monster, but still a…person. His eyes are red, stretched in anxiety, freaked to an atrocious extent, wondering if he could possess the evil that was reached to kill another human being. A human monster, really… So he shouldn't look so pained…right?

Or was that just as evil?

"I…I killed…someone. Did I?" Will asks, a baffle as his face. "How could I?" Shame takes hold of him, and all I wish to do is assure him that Charlotte's dick of a brother deserved it. Sometimes, all you can do to fight evil is pair it with an equal evil. Fight fire with fire… Sometimes, that's the only choice.

"Look, mate, he deserved it. And… with all the hell they've caused, it was practically self-defense." Zane replies, and I smile. This alternate universe of hell and revenge has drove Zane and Will together in a moment where they don't loathe each other. How beautiful.

"Doesn't matter. I…killed someone. That's always going to stay with me, with us all..." Will spouts eerily. A silence nestles itself upon our circle of magic.

I realize Zane and I are holding hands so tightly, when a shock erupts as an event. Emma steps closer to Will, and holds his hand. Her quiet voice saying, "You were angry and scared, and…in the end, you were protecting us all. We can't change that now and shouldn't want to."

I glance at Zane, and nod, never loosing my newly developed sad eyes. Sad eyes that hold pain… How I wish the pain would disappear. I have a feeling it'll hover for a while.

Soon enough, Zane has taken off his leather jacket and offered it around my cold fragile damaged arms. I swiftly take it, smile long at him, and wrap it around to cover my torn broken dress. Ours hands are still clutching each other tightly, almost as one.

"Where…Where did you guys find the guns…and where is Drake…Lewis's mate…?" Emma asks quietly. We're still in a mess of an escape, needing so many more answers and heroes.

Will, still in a daze as he holds Emma's hand, doesn't respond. But, Zane does.

"There was a half-crazy gun collector staying in the hotel. He told us to take them and stop whatever evil people had taken over this place. And, um, Lewis's old friend, uh, he decided to hide and lock himself away… Saying that none of this had anything to do with him. And, well, he was right, so we went off to save the amazing mermaids who find far too much trouble," Zane smirks for a moment, then whispers, "I love you, my destined-for-trouble mermaid."

I can't help try a giggle, even if our situation is much too tragic to think about laughing. But it feels good to know that, just for a moment, through all the tragedies, there is love. "Good thing your mermaid falls in love with misunderstood troubled mortals… I love you too." I say, and the freedom of love burns inside of me. Love. _Love, _who knew it could spring its truth upon us in the craziest of times?

It is then that I realize we need to save Cleo. She's still in the madness. Who could ponder the possibilities of darkness that will engulf her in Charlotte's insanity?

"Cleo. We have to go back for Cleo." I say suddenly as it dawns of me. "We can't leave without saving her. Charlotte's going to torture her and ruin her, and we…we have to do something!" I shriek, now full of riveted fury and fear.

"I know, sweetie. We're gonna call 911." Zane tries to calm me. 911. Right. Wait, why hadn't anyone called 911 before? Where was any and all justice available to us? I gulp, as Zane takes out his phone and dials the three numbers that scream for help…

Then, he frowns. And another part of me dies as I'm filled with dread.

"No signal." Zane reports, as his eyes turn stoic.

"Bella and Charlotte were crafting this plan way longer than any of us knew about." Emma says with a shattering effect. "They've probably blocked this whole area's signal. I'd be surprised if they didn't have more than one plan Bs."

I stare at Emma intently. "How do you know this?"

Emma bites her lip. "Because look outside." I turn to meet a window that peers outside to an image of many hotel guests surrounding a gate of solid jelly. How…? But, then it hits me. Bella used her power of solidifying her jelly to craft together this gate. Terror fills my void of now broken dreams.

"Well…maybe I can boil it…destroy the…prison gate." I offer, full of the first jolt of hope I have found. I can destroy the magical gate, find some help; police, save Cleo… It might be okay.

. . .

It wasn't okay. The plan failed. My boiling and burning power could not destroy Bella's gate of unbreakable magic. I could only burn ice. And these prison walls were not fire or ice, but something terribly worse…Evil.

. . .

"What about Bella?" Will asks.

We are in a new suite. I am a damage sitting on the couch, close to Zane, near his warmth that I pray will keep us safe. Will is sitting at the table meant for devouring room service, his eyes still numb and frantic all at the same time. Meanwhile, Emma is pacing. I wonder what her baby's thinking.

"What about her?" Emma's voice quivers as she stops her paces. "She's gone, Will. Right…Rikki?" Emma looks over at me. I still sense pity, but I let it go. For once.

I nod, my eyes hollow. I consider my answer, but then feel the scars carved into my arm, marking me for life, still hidden by Zane's leather jacket. Because of her. "Yeah, Will. I'm sorry…but she's gone off the deep end and gone dancing with the devil. There's no Bella that you fell in love with. It was all a lie."

Will struggles to hide his sniffle, as I stare to the ground. In a better place, in a better future, how will this tragedy of lost souls affect us? Will we all be damaged for eternity, traumatized by an inexplicable darkness? Or will we rise above these tragedies and find a will to make it through the day, fighting for our old happy selves to come back? Will we be names on a survivor list, or on the death list that will forever haunt the world?

Emma sighs, and sits down, next to Will. I stare at both of them, knowing they're hiding an attraction… Or is it just that dark times bring people together? No, I see it in the way they comfort each others sorrows. Holding hands, like Zane and I. Lewis is gone. Who will hold Cleo's hand?

"There's only one way to save Cleo." Emma concludes, after intense staring matches with the windows, still images of hotel guests crying and falling forlorn as they realize they're trapped. Just like we all have our demons trapped inside our minds.

Zane, Will, and I straighten up. We do all know Cleo is the innocent sweet one. The one we all never want to let down. I wonder if she's still mad at me…for being in secret contact with Charlotte first… I wish to believe otherwise, but could I have prevented this all? Zane's kiss on my cheek coaxes me, but my mind still wonders at the question.

"The only way possible is to break Bella. And, we know there's only one person here who can do that." Eyes frantically seize in on Will. I know Emma's right. Will is the only key to any form of a happy sane girl Bella used to be…a real one, at that.

Will takes a deep breath. "What do you want me to do? Cause I'll do anything to help…save Cleo from the evil of all evils…" Hope is lifted into my spirit, which scares me. But as Emma, Will, Zane, and I develop the plan more and more… I get more and more sure that it will work. Sure we will save Cleo. Sure we will destroy anything remaining in the evil lost girl titled Isabella Hartley.

. . .

My eyes fell to a slumber. It was so easy to just flutter your eyelids into temporary peace of no thoughts, no worries, and no fears… Floating… I'm in the air, being lifted. Where am I? Fresh air…

I open my eyes. Zane's holding me as we explore the balcony of this once-high-end suite. What happened? My mind aggravates to remember. We had escaped Charlotte, developed…the plan. Yes, the plan. Zane said I should rest… Emma and Will went off to save Cleo. Everything…everything would possibly be okay, right?

"Zaney," I blush furiously at myself as I realize what I just called him. "I mean, Zane, put me down." I giggle, and Zane sets me on my feet as I look around with sleepy eyes. I glance at him. "I thought you were afraid of heights."

"I still am, princess." Zane replies. Tomato-filled blushes control me. "But, I think we've gone through enough of our fears to get past that, and it's always fun to reenact our almost-first kiss. Before my Dad came in to be a second-degree bastard."

I laugh, as I take his hand and travel near to the edge of the balcony, loving how his eyes focus on me, and not the long way down. "Actually, Zane, our first kiss was on Mako, when I totally blew you away with my fiery moonstruck kiss."

"Ah, how could I forget…? That hell of a kiss…" Zane smirks, with a chuckle. "I think waking up to see a burnt grass fire ring around me was a bit much…"

"What can a mermaid say? The guy she hates becomes very desirable on a full moon… So desirable she creates a fire ring." I say, and laughs of happiness engulf us.

"I'd love one of those take-me-away-to-hot-fire-land kisses again, Rikki." Zane comments, and I completely forget all about our differences and everything that could possibly go wrong, and only focus on the right.

"Oh, really?" I shriek, and blow him away with a new series of fiery kisses. It's passionate, yet giving, gentle. Strange to believe the Gold Coast's legendary bad boy could be such a hero when no one was looking…

After our kisses, I sigh. "Do you think Will and Emma will be alright? Do you think our plan will work? Do you think…Do you think we'll survive this?" I ask, as suddenly all the fear radiates back into me again.

Zane kisses my forehead, and plops me upon his lap, holding me close. It feels so good to need someone and having him need you just the same. This thought terrifies me, and gives me happiness all at once.

"Will and Emma will be fine, Rikki. They're strong just like you, and if the plan doesn't work, nothing will. Because at the end of the day, we'll know we did our best to save Cleo, even trying to save Lewis. Even Bella's…lost soul." I nod, sadly. I will never let Zane go. I wonder how one idiotic girl's misplaced lips could have possibly made me thought all was ruined. Love was so much more…sometimes; all you needed was a tragedy to realize what love actually was. Lewis had love for Cleo, just like Cleo had love for Lewis...once upon a fairytale. And we had to do our best to make sure our love doesn't become a tragedy…like theirs.

"And, princess, we're survivors. We always survive." I fade into this statement, because it's true, isn't it? No matter what bad events of tragedies or losses swallow up happiness in life, I make an oath to myself that I will keep Zane and I's love alive. And I know he's done the same. And just having love alive, makes us survivors.

I look at him, take in his brown eyes of understanding of hurt and mellowing of love, his tousled dark hair, his adorable smirk, his body, and suddenly I want it. I want him to take away the hurt, take away the damage that has been done, make me less fragile, give me back some control that I've lost.

I take his lips in, kiss deeper and deeper, until my hands reach to remove his shirt. I want it gone, as with his pants, boxers, and all the space between us. I want it gone as with my hurt. So I look up at him and whisper, "Zane, I want to make love with you."

For some reason, tears harvest in my eyes, but all I'm filled with is love and desire, and a tingle of fear…off in the distance, that will disappear by the end of this. I know it.

Zane smiles that smirk, then his eyes widen in recognition of what I'm saying. "Now?" He asks. I nod, steady myself closer and closer to him. He whispers, "Are you sure, Rikki?"

"Yes." I smile at the word. I'm saying yes, and I have my own power and choice in it. And with that, Zane smirks his smile, and I shed his leather jacket, as I claw into his shirt…removing it, gone. Now, on to his, very, very excited pants. I giggle, but suddenly at a cursed moment, he stiffens.

"Rikki…Don't move." Zane states. I stop breathing, frozen in place. His eyes burn fear and hatred like no other. I turn around, to be face to face with ten or so devils. Devils as human beings…who ruined, hurt, destroyed pieces of me. They're back, they're smiling, and they're absolutely evil.

Zane takes my hand, and places me behind him…the only way to protect me. But dread fills me, because I know the rationality. We're outnumbered by evil sadistic pain-lovers.

"You can't hurt us." I say, willing myself to believe it as I lift my hand, feeling faith in my power. The monsters just laugh. Cackles of evil, pain… Tears erupt as flashbacks occur. I blink rapidly, trying to make it all stop… How they hurt me… Please. Make. It. Stop.

"I promise you, whore, we can hurt you. You know how we can hurt you, and I bet deep inside, you're begging for more. If you weren't, you wouldn't have been trying to seduce lover-boy, here." Sobs tumble out of me, as I wish to scream and for someone to hear. But I can't. It won't help. What if the monsters were right? No! No… I hate them… They're twisting it all around, fucking with my mind… My hand freezes up. I can't think. All I see is Zane yelling, sounds of many curse words, punches being thrown, and…

Bam. Break. Crash.

One of the monsters has punched Zane into the ends of the balcony… Falling. My true love is falling with a scream. No! Sobs, too many sobs. He's plummeting to the ground. Hit. I stare. I already see blood start from Zane's cracked head. Somebody, help him! He can't die! He can't die on me; he swore we would be survivors. This can't happen… Please, no…

All my nightmares have come true and there's nothing more to fear.

I open my hand out flat, and start balling it into the fist that holds power, fire, vengeance… They will pay. They can't… kill? They can't kill Zane! Zane's not dead…Is he? Cries escape me. They should pay but they don't. Soon enough, the monster who pushed Zane off into hell's fallings reveals a knife. Before a reaction takes hold of me, the knife has swiped the tops…tops of my fingers. No power. I'm left with no control. My other hand's budding fist…Tops of fingers are gone as well. Pain, seared with a numbness of the blood rushing gravitates it's pulse inside of me.

Things blur into dizziness. Monsters' hands are grabbing me, pulling me against my will into my own hell, taking me somewhere… I'm screaming. But either no one hears, no one cares, or no one can do anything about it as my breathing starts slowing. The monsters have placed me in a box. They're placing the top on. I fight to shove it off… I'm too weak, and losing substance from my hands. I can't be too weak! I have to get out of here and save Zane…right? But I can't. I relatively calm myself as I realize there are holes so I can breathe…but my sobs continue.

"Quiet, you fiery whore. No one but us is ever going to see you again, so you better get used to being treated like the dirty whore you are." The box moves rapidly; I'm peaking out, and see that somehow we have left the hotel, and found an exit through the solid jelly gates. We keep moving, until I realize I'm placed in a car… A car that will take me somewhere I'm told no one but monsters will ever see me again.

**A/N: :D Woohoo! Finished the chapter at approximately 3:50 am on Saturday morning! Now, that is what you call dedication…or just a writer being lazy the whole entire week and racing to get it finished in one crazy night. Or, you just call it a writer being disturbed enough to write this chapter at all, but either way; you should review about whatever fancies your mind (HOPEFULLY relating to the story…but hey, sometimes we just need to ramble)! Thanks again for all your lovely support, and special disturbed writers' kisses go out to all of you! (Especially if you're a fellow disturbed writer, yourself). Also, happy early Valentine's Day to all of you, and if your so unwanted to be alone, just be grateful that your true love hasn't had his testicles cut off or fell of a balcony (and is afraid of heights!) xoxo. -Suzza**


	16. The Mermaid Who Got Lost Along The Way

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee**

**A/N: Just another unlocked piece of hysteria on your computer screen…waiting for you to devour it. You know what to do… xD**

**Bella's POV:**

Will, Emma, Rikki, and Zane are gone now. They have escaped…temporarily. And now, my most undeserving-of-evil ex-best-friend has to face Charlotte's wrath all by herself. And all Cleo can do is sob. Sob as she stares at Lewis's corpse.

Charlotte turns to me, and offers a broken smile we used to exchange when I admired her. But… Now, I don't. I can't. Not when she's taken away a lost girl's true love. Well…maybe I did that. But, I didn't want Lewis to have to suffer… He would die anyway. What if Charlotte took away Will? I knew what Charlotte was capable of it… Capable of even forcing me to do away with him. I shudder, look back at Cleo, and will her to try and run…try and live again.

"Well, Cleo… I hope you got what you wanted! Lewis is dead. All because you. You must be happy…tearing apart people who are destined to be together. You little bitch! Your torture session is going to last for eternity… You'll wish you were dead." Charlotte cackles, but she's in the midst of a breakdown.

Truthfully, I like Cleo. And anger is suffocating me. Cleo just sits there, letting Charlotte take hits at her…because Cleo finds no reason to respond. Lewis is gone, and she can't process it. Just like when mum was gone. Just like when my innocence was.

"Charlotte… You're the one who cut off Lewis's penis, and ruined your relationship with him. He chose Cleo. You were angry, and then decided to make him hurt. And…" I smile, a devious one at that. "Then I killed him so that both of you would stop fighting over him. He's just a science geek, for heaven sake's. Now, no one can have him."

The silence is deafening.

Charlotte's image breaks. "Bella, don't get me started with you. If you do as I say, maybe I won't have to slap you. Insane bitch doesn't know what's good for her…" She mumbles. Then her amber eyes turn to her half brother's friends…all hovering around, finding absolute pleasure and amusement in our insanity.

"This plan is getting edgy…about to collapse, even. So, all of you must go find Emma, Rikki, Zane, and Will. And when you find them, you will kidnap the mermaids, put them in the boxes over there. Make sure they can breathe…a little." Charlotte refers to the wall. "And then we will take them on the boat we came here on, and hide them away on Mako. Our revenge will officially end there, when I feel they've had enough. And that'll take years." Charlotte finishes, eyes in ecstasy in thoughts of her evil revenge.

A thought pipes at me. "What about Will and Zane?" I ask.

Charlotte smiles at me, clutches my hand, and fills with horrific delight. "I'm doing this for you, Bella." She peers back at the guys. "Kill them."

"Any preference on method, Charlotte?" One of the guys asks, as if he's filled with all sorts of devious ideas at this moment. I am too… They can't kill Will. They won't.

"Heights." I state. "Zane is afraid of heights. Rikki told me one time… One time when we were friends." I go on. "You should push him off a balcony. That'd be…terrific." Then my smile crumbles. "But…you will not kill Will. If you kill Will, I kill you." I lift my hand, about to strike within my power.

Charlotte's eyes panic for a moment, and try to find safety. Cleo looks up, the first thing that's interested her since Lewis was murdered by me. Charlotte tries to reach my rationality. Doesn't she realize there's none left? "Bella, don't get crazy now…" I'm already crazy. I've gone off the deep end and reached insanity. It couldn't be any other way. "Of course, Will will be safe. We won't kill him."

I got my way. I smile. Cleo's eyes reach mine, but, for the first time in our friendship, all they are filled with is fear.

"Now go. And cut off the mermaid's fingers to make sure they won't use their ungrateful powers. Make the mermaids wish they were dead." And, with Charlotte's last word, the guys leave to stir more insanity, and force their evil ways upon more victims.

Now… What to do with Cleo while she waits for our trip to Mako, or really…her trip to hell.

This is when Charlotte and I realize Cleo has reached for her phone, and is trying to type something into it. Havoc ensues, as Charlotte gasps. "The little bitch!" Charlotte nears Cleo, and pulls her hair before grabbing the phone away. Cleo looks lost, but not angry. Her eyes are lifeless…sad.

Charlotte looks at Cleo's phone screen and smirks. "The little bitch of a mermaid was trying to alert her friends… How sweet. I'm happy to tell you that no one has signal any more." Charlotte says happily, and then an idea pipes up. "But…just so you can't get your paws on anything else…" Charlotte grabs the last knife that was left before the guys took them up to the mermaids. Charlotte sneers, and just like that, she slices through Cleo's fingers.

Cleo screams, but when she takes in all the blood gushing from her hands…stops. Cleo just stares at Charlotte and I, full of hatred, full of fear, full of loss…

"Good bitch of a mermaid. There's no reason to scream… Your torture hasn't even started…" Charlotte cackles, in a horrific soothing voice. I observe the happenings. Perhaps, in a few years, I can leave this all behind, and start anew again. Perhaps…

"Get away from me." Cleo whispers, as tears flood her eyes. I stare down at her, on the floor…wishing I could say something that could coax her. I never hated her. I loved Cleo, just as I loved Will…and once upon a time, loved Rikki. But, Emma was always evil. And then Rikki betrayed me and…took advantage of Will…and I knew she had gone evil too.

"Okay, Cleo. You don't want near me, but you want near Lewis, don't you? Even when he's dead, you want to be his whore, and push me out…Don't you? Don't you?" Charlotte starts babbling, and suddenly cackles and more cackles escape her mouth. And then, Charlotte grabs Lewis's lost body part…the torn of piece of him, and grabs Cleo's hair, and pushes it into her mouth.

I gasp at the horror of a scene. It is the first action of Charlotte's that I'm surprised at. I didn't know she would go this ludicrously evil. It's so disturbing… Cleo's gagging meshed with her screaming…while Charlotte cackles and cackles.

And all while, Cleo's eyes gravitate at me… Full of misery. Full of hate. Full of everything that will now always be lost. I lost her. Our friendship is no more. A tiny part of me feels sad, but the larger part is angry. I thought she would be able to see that I feel terrible watching the torture of old best friends…but she doesn't. So, the anger reeks in me….

But I can't watch Lewis's lifeless dick be pushed in Cleo's mouth by Charlotte, as Lewis lays…a lifeless corpse just a few feet away. It's too much hysteria to take in. So, with a vomit-induced gasp, I run away…out in the hallway of the hotel.

I try to breathe, but things get blurry very easily. I'm crying. How could I become such a menace? I miss having two best friends, an amazing true love, and an extraordinary secret that bound us forever. I miss the person I used to be…even if she was a lie.

The people surrounding me are crying as well. They are trapped in my own insanity…and for no reason except bad luck. I brought tragedy to all of them. This isn't Cleo's fault, or Charlotte's, or even Rikki's for taking advantage of Will… It's my fault… I caused all of this. I'm a terrible evil lost girl…and there's nothing I can do to change it.

Only one person could. Will.

. . .

**No One's POV:**

Meanwhile, Emma was sneaking off to complete one aspect of the plan. It was not an easy one. It was one that would definitely destroy any remaining piece of the so-called sane soul of Bella Hartley's. But, as the plan went… Will would find Bella; offer a runaway plan to escape this place, so conveniently gathering the information of how to escape. After they would find the possible way out, Will would distract Bella with a million kisses. Meanwhile, Emma would have snuck into Charlotte's torture chamber, and froze the evil girl with red hair and amber eyes, and rescued Cleo. Emma and Cleo would then get Rikki and Zane, and find the newly opened exit…where Will would abandon Bella, and they would call the police. Bella would be put in jail or better yet a mental institution.

Yes, this was the plan. But, plans have a tendency of being broken, and going down a chaotic twirl of events that no one expected.

. . .

**Bella's POV**

While I have my breakdown of sobbing on the floor, into my knees, once again…that I hear familiar footsteps, and an even more familiar voice. "Bella? Bella….don't cry." I look up, wondering if I starting to have hallucinations. But, there he is. Will Benjamin. The lost love of my life.

"Will?" I say, still in shock. His eyes spiral in forms of pity in my direction. He thinks I'm a nutcase. He hates me… I wish he really could stay true to his words in the video he sent before getting on the plane…but I know what he said. Tears fall from my eyes like it's pouring.

"Bella, you know I hate it when you cry." Will says again, and suddenly his hands are wiping the tears away. I find a light; somehow, I find that light at the end of the tunnel.

"I thought you hated me…" I mumble, in disbelief. "You said that you didn't love me anymore!" I sob. Suddenly, Will has taken me and is whispering in my ear. He's close. He's not full of anger and sorrow anymore…but of… Is he full of the love we used to have?

"Truth is, Bella, I had to lie to you. Emma and Cleo… They tried to brainwash me that…that you were the bad one. But, I know the truth. You're the one I'm in love with, and if Charlotte and you are friends, I can accept that. Emma, Rikki, and Cleo are the evil ones here. I just… I always wanted it to be you and me, always and forever in love. I was angry that you just left and had this whole past you never told me about…but, it's okay now. We can leave this place, if you'll show me the way… And we'll be the Will and Bella who were in love again." Will is coaxing into my ear. And I look into his eyes, trying to reach into his soul…wanting reassurance he's telling me the truth. But, my emotions get the best of me.

"Charlotte and I aren't friends, Will! She scares me…and she told me that they all were evil, but I'm not even sure now… I'm…so…lost, and confused, and scared. But I do know that you're the one thing in my life that hasn't been a lie." I look to Will's hazel eyes. They've changed. They're feeling something, and at this moment…. I know he's true. I knew he still loved me… I knew it. Now, everything will be okay…cause we're in love again!

"I know, Bella…. I know. We can leave all this behind. This is Charlotte and the girls' mess. Not ours. We can run... We'll be happier, and you won't be scared or confused or lost anymore. Not with me." Will pleads, holding my hand as our fingers intertwine. I want so desperately to believe him, and run away together…but there's one little thing.

"Rikki told me that she took advantage of you and fucked you. That's why I had to carve Lying Whore into her skin. See, everything I did…it's so you and me can be together…" It swarms out from my mouth, as I'm wondering if he'll feel the same way. But, he has to. We're meant to be. I knew he'd understand.

"Me too, Bella. I even shot that brother of Charlotte's to put on a good show…to make Emma, Zane, Rikki, and Cleo think I'm on their side. But, it's you and me against the world, Bells. It's always been that. And Rikki…" Will winces, but I choose to ignore that. "Rikki _is_ a lying whore. She….She needs to know it. She started coming at me like a…desperate slut after Zane cheated on her." Will squeezes his eyes tight, and then peers back to me, and kisses my hand. "You did the world a favor. And…you'll do it another one if you run away with me."

I nod; loving how even in our darkest times…love isn't lost. This is the right fairytale ending. This is right. Will and I, against the world. It's our oyster, and together we will conquer it with our love. He might even make me sane again. He's done it once…. Everything will be perfect.

"I know a way out of the water-jelly gate outside." I squeal, in glee at the thought of our future. "Will, can we go back to Ireland? Sometimes….Sometimes, I miss that place. Even if when I changed to a mermaid, it was in Charlotte's instructions…" I start mumbling.

"Wherever your heart desires, Bells." Will replies, and helps me up from the floor. We intertwine our hands, and go off into the sunset of the doors of the hotel. They're not locked anymore. And off we go, soul mates still in love… Just as I knew we would be. Who cares if a few mermaids get lost along the way?

Once we are outside, I look at the sky to realize it's nearing nighttime. And…up there in the sky, shining upon loads of lost and scared people, a crescent moon appears. I wonder what I'll be doing the next full moon. The people found a way to get past the locked doors, and our now screeching at my solid-jelly gate. I smile. It was a success. They just don't know the secret escape.

Will and I are walking…until he stops, and gasps. "Ohmygod!" I get frightened, but then come to see the fallen body of Zane Bennett. I smile. His head looks cracked; blood is spurring. I look above, and shiver in delight as I see the balcony that holds a damaged Rikki being kidnapped.

Will loses his image of the boy in love with Bella (me), when he starts spewing to a man that has started working on Zane. "Is…Is he dead!"

The man looks up at Will, and sighs. "No. He has a pulse, but I do believe he's in a coma as of now, and has a few broken bones." The man finishes, and adds, "I'm a doctor. I was on a vacation here… Never thought it would get this chaotic in Los Angeles. Not to worry, I'll fix your friend up, and help him recover while I can. Were you a friend?" The doctor asks, looking back at Zane.

I frown. He's not dead. I thought my plans would always work…but, eventually, he had to die in a coma, right? Because...life had to go my way as of now. I'm in control, now that I've left Charlotte. Now that I have Will again. Right?

Will gulps, and I can't help but notice how his eyes flicker of horror as he stares at Zane's body and back at me. "Yeah. We were mates," I'm surprised to hear Will answer. And with this, I am even more in awe when Will gets a stray piece of paper, and jots something down, and then hands it to the doctor.

And with that, Will's "Come on, Bells. Let's get out of here." He clutches my hand, and I take him to the only escape route in all the land of this hotel. But before we escape, I stop.

"You promise to love me forever?" I ask Will, still feeling a vibe of my insecurities in the air.

Will gives me his familiar smile, and whispers, "I promise to love you for all of eternity." And then he takes me into a hug, in which I let a few stray sobs come out into the open. He soothes me, again and again.

When we part, I stare at the jelly-gate, and smile, finally able to breathe again. "The escape is right here. We have to pat the ground a few times, and then this part of the wall will crash, and let us out." And with this, clutching each others hand, we start digging a minor hole, and when the gate lets out… We go off into the sunset. Until I realize people have started to follow us into escape universe.

Ha. Charlotte's plans might not go entirely her way.

As we stare back at the hotel of so much of Charlotte and I's evilness, fears, and destruction of all, Will gulps. "Loving someone means wanting what's best for them." I smile, and nod at him. Things are going so smoothly. I knew he was the one stable thing in my life. I knew our love wasn't lost. He understood. He always did.

"I love you, Bella." He takes me and starts a fit of passionate kisses that cause butterflies to stir inside of me, like they always do. We keep kissing, and kissing, as he presses me against the jelly-gate. But then, she comes along. And I know that, indeed, absolutely everything is lost.

The girl of my insanity, my evilness, my insecurities, Emma appears. With her, is Cleo, with a much less disheveled appearance than I last saw her in. No Rikki. I smile. At least that whore is most likely in distress. Haha. Zane couldn't save his damsel in distress…. It's all so hilarious! I flicker my eyes again and again, until I realize Emma and Will have taken each others hand and all of them are staring at me with hatred.

"And, it's because I loved you that I have to do what's best. You can't hurt anyone anymore." Will says, and my eyes go berserk at the horrific image in front of me. Emma and Will, holding hands, together…. No. This can't happen! This wasn't supposed to happen! My soul deflates, and madness ensures.

"It's over, Bella. Charlotte's frozen. We've escaped. And, we're gonna call the police, and so you'll have to tell them where Rikki is. And then…you're gonna rot in jail, in your own little hell." Emma says with a sneer. She thinks for the moment that she's won. But, she's nowhere close.

I've lost my soul at the bottom of the deep end, and now my hidden monster is going to come out.

"You evil demonic bitch! Whore! Whore! You dirty repulsive slut! Slut! Slut! You were in a porno!" I screech, as I push Emma to the ground. The others screech, and surround us.

"That's how you got this idiotic nuisance of a baby!" is my last screech. And then I cackle, reminding myself horrifically more and more of Charlotte in each second…who's now…frozen? I whisper, "Now, I'll do you a favor. I'll kill that disgusting little fetus. Hehe." I look back at Cleo and Will; who looks completely shocked.

Then, I put my hand directly over Emma's stomach, just a tiny bulge to signify her slutty behavior. I giggle. She's full of atrocious anger, and a tiny word slips out, "Don't."

"You deserve this. You brainwashed and ruined Cleo to mess with Charlotte. And you turned Rikki into a slut who took advantage of Will! And now, your darling little baby will-" Emma stirs on the ground, and suddenly, she's reached into her pocket to reveal the gun she's somehow mustered to get back.

"It was just in case we needed it. And you need to die." Emma says at last. She looks above my head, up to Will. I can feel his nod. No. Shock elopes with me, and I can't think, can't move. My hand stands still. Tears fall.

"You can't hurt anyone anymore." Will says. By this time, I've started twirling my hands in the familiar motion of magic, but it's too late. My heart has already died.

Emma has the gun, to my heart, and with one little press and release, the bullet flies as her eyes squeeze shut. One last glance of my life. Will. Betrayed.

_You can't hurt anyone anymore. _And, so the end came.

**A/N: This chapter was shorter than I expected, and I'm not sure if that's because I didn't do enough character development for Bella before the end, or because all my death chapters are short (but hey, lots of these chapters have death… *_*) Either way, I sincerely hope you've enjoyed the AU-tastic insane Bella who died because of a bullet in her heart, and a war inside her head. Review because there's still some craziness to clear up, and you should want to know all the dirty little details. xoxo.**


	17. Queen Of Ice Meets Princess Of Death

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee**

**A/N: I took a break to write my original series and have finally finished the first draft of my novel, which I'm super duper excited with and proud of! But I could never forget this little fic that started as a writers' block challenge and became a breathtaking disturbing story of turmoil and insanity, which so many of you have inspired and caused a load of growth and improvement within my writing.**

**So enjoy, awesome little darkness-lovers. xD Also, I'd like to make it clear that this is not the final chapter! There is one more after this, and then most definitely an epilogue… But, alas, you shall go forth to read the content on the page.**

**Emma's POV:**

Will, Cleo, and I cluster in the police station. Tragedy has taken it's course on each of our faces. Murder is written on Will and my own, angry self-defense murder, but still murder. We've been through attempted suicides, missing girls, running away, rapists, pregnancy, murder of loved ones, and the ongoing agony of chaos that hasn't gone away since both Bella and Charlotte died-by my hand.

And now, the police want to investigate Will, Cleo, and I about that chaos. We all hold hands, Will and I's with newly requited love, and Cleo's hand, although torn, limp, cold, and fragile, is connected as a friendship that cannot die. And now, we separate at the police's stern nods; we've gathered together and crafted the perfectly as close to honest as possible story of the tragedies that exclude our mermaid secret. These are going to be our last statements on these memories of terror, because, I plan to never go back here, in a time so dark, so wicked.

My last glance is of Will, apprehensive and gorgeous, and then Cleo, fragile and numb. I get the overweight cop; He's one with a mustache, looks as if he's been eating Oreos. He looks stern, and annoyed-perhaps, annoyed that we're part of a tragedy that has terrorized his normal routine of speeding cars, drunk assholes, and long lunch breaks. He nods, "Emma Gilbert, sit down."

I sit, and with fear of what I've done, I start to tell what happened, as the policeman, Daryl, asks. And with tears, I start speaking, and when I do, I'm afraid I'm starting to sputter out everything.

"I was in France, at this restaurant with an ex-boyfriend…Ash. I was here when I got the phone-call from...from Rikki." Tears cloud my vision. "And Rikki said that Cleo had tried to kill herself, and that she needed us." I gulp, trying to find my sanity, "Rikki's missing now, you know!? You have to find her! Cleo told me that they were going to take her to Mako!" I start scrambling in shrieks.

"Slow down, Emma. Slow down! We have police investigating and searching for your friend at this Mako Island you speak of right now." Officer Daryl tries to calm me. I shut up, try to find peace and nod. "Emma, how about you tell me why you were going to Hotel LAngel with your friends…Cleo Sertori, Rikki Chadwick, Will Benjamin, and Zane Bennett…, okay?" He says, and then writes something on his piece of paper.

"I was there because after Rikki called me about Cleo, I came back to the Gold Coast-my home. Their, uh, friend, Bella Hartley, had run away or was missing or something. …Lewis, Lewis was here, and he called us to say he found her, so they all rushed here, because they thought she was their best friend, or their girlfriend, or were just here for the ride of true love." I cough up, and as I do, more and more sobs entrance me.

The officer scrunches his eyes. "Miss Sertori was in the hospital for attempted suicide. She never signed out. Did you…take her involuntarily?" He asks, as his eyes start to darken at the thought I could be a suspect.

"No! She wanted to find Bella too! Her, her attempted suicide was an accident. She didn't mean for it to happen." He raises his eyes in disbelief, and scribbles words down, probable to be 'insane person'.

"Okay, Miss Gilbert, so when you arrived at the hotel, what did Hartley do?" Daryl asks, seeming to know I'm going to shriek every agonizing memory left inside of me.

"She had disappeared again. At first. See, she went to the hotel with this Drake guy, who just happened to have been Lewis's mate. Lewis had known Bella. But, somehow, she just…disappeared again." I explain, feeling fear gravitate through me.

"Okay. So, when did you realize that Hartley was having a conspiracy, a plot to hurt you with Watsford?" He asks, so calm it makes me want to screech.

"Uh, Bella had…had left me notes, and I guess… I guess Lewis knew she was plotting with Charlotte. But…no one, no one really wanted to believe him. Apparently, Bella had always been their sweet friend, the one you'd never expect… They never expected her true colors were this dark, this evil…" A tear falls as I picture Lewis's dead corpse, and the little girl's, and Bella's evil face…

Officer Daryl looks tense for a moment, and then, unexpectedly, offers me a tissue box. I take it.

"Charlotte hated us-Cleo, Rikki, and I. She blamed Cleo for 'stealing' Lewis away from her, when it had been the opposite. We were in Junior Year, and after…well, after Lewis dumped her and had gotten with Cleo again… Charlotte just…disappeared. None of us thought much about it. But, we all knew she could get...narcotic, and delirious. We didn't think she could murder though." I wheeze.

"I understand why Watsford would be mad at Miss Sertori, but why you and the missing Miss Chadwick?" The officer starts to question, and I tense up. We all promised we would never mention the secret.

"Uh, I guess Charlotte hung on to her hate. All of us never really wanted her in our group, partly because she was dating Lewis, partly because we just didn't like her…" At his disapproving glance, I add. "I guess we did have some mean girl moments, but nothing to kill anyone over." My own words shock me into shivers.

"Okay, so tell me…tell me what Bella's notes were like…how did that lead to Lewis McCartney's death?" He adds another question. It's simple how this process works: Interrogate; Tell the truth…but sometimes, it's not so simple.

"Uh, she led me to find Lewis…cheating…" I say, still knowing that I miss him so much right now. He was the genius; he wasn't supposed to be gone. "And then to this video, where she…she killed this poor little girl." I say, my voice now cracking.

"Anna Hale." The officer confirms, and waits for me to start talking about Lewis's…murder.

"After that, I went back to the suite… Somewhere in there, Rikki and Zane wandered off. We couldn't find them. So, we decided to search for Bella. I hadn't told them what I'd seen. I couldn't. I knew they probably wouldn't believe me, or worse, it would break their hearts." I ease away from the horrific details of the after, but it's calling me.

The officer looks a bit annoyed, yet intrigued, and sympathetic. So, I edge closer to the worst darkness of the worst parts of the whole despair. "When we were searching, Charlotte's voice came over the intercom… She said that Rikki was going to die if we didn't meet her at the spa and accept our punishment."

"We?" Officer Daryl asks.

"Cleo and I. Rikki, Cleo and I were the ones she wanted revenge on." I answer, my breaths unsteady.

"Where was Mr. Bennett at this time? Didn't you say they went off together?" The policeman closes in on questions I don't even know.

"Rikki and Zane were going to go away… They had logic that something wasn't right here…plus, after Rikki got raped by Charlotte's brother and his mates, I think Rikki knew Charlotte was coming after us. But she was so…scared and scarred…something Rikki Chadwick should never be…" I sob again, "But they came back, I think because Charlotte said she was hurting Cleo and I or something. So….they hurt Rikki, when she came back. The guys, they raped her…" I find it hard to go on. "Bella punctured…She punctured the words lying whore into her skin, for sleeping with Will, Bella's boyfriend."

Not even a slight gasp escapes Officer Daryl. He seems to act as if this happens all the time, but his eyes are still filled of intrigue. "The spa was where Lewis McCartney died." He urges me on.

"Charlotte hated Cleo the most so… So, some of the guys fetched Lewis, so Cleo could…make a mess of herself in front of him, say that Charlotte and Lewis were meant to be or something… Except, Charlotte's plan went wrong. She got angry when Lewis said he would always love Cleo. She was so viciously angry… She had a knife…She had a knife and she…cut off Lewis's….penis." I state, willing Lewis's image to go away and never come back-I only wanted the happy images of a fun geeky science nerd Lewis.

"How did Lewis die, Emma?" The officer questions, as if this is the key that unravels a whole mystery.

I gulp. "Blood loss, right? There was so much blood…" I know the police might know it has something to do with jellied blood, but it's our secret. We can't tell.

"Actually, Emma, it appears McCartney's blood was deformed which caused him to be unable to go on. But, be assured, he would have died of blood loss…but he didn't. Just like many other victims found in the hotel. Any idea of how that happened?" He's on to the secret, and there's positively no way out.

I gulp. "I have no idea. Charlotte and Bella were crafty… All I saw was the blood, and the torn piece of him…" I shudder. "Can we move on?" I practically beg.

Officer Daryl nods. "How and why did Charlotte release you and Miss Chadwick?"

"Uh, Will and Zane… They came in, and tried to be heroes. Which got Rikki and I out. But, Charlotte wanted Cleo the most…and, honestly, I think Will cared about me, and Zane definitely cared about Rikki most. Meanwhile, Lewis was just….dead. After we got out, we developed a plan…to escape." I bite my lip, just thinking about it. "Plans really don't go as they're supposed to though." Was Rikki suffering right now? Was Zane in the midst of two worlds-a coma?

"What was your plan?" The officer asks the eightieth question today.

I gulp. Here comes the part I dread, the part I need to erase…cause it's eating me up inside. "It was that Will would distract Bella with fake love…and I would rescue Cleo." The officer looks confused.

"Why did you think you could rescue Cleo without any conflict from Watsford?"

The question makes me shudder as the images flicker back. Cleo, so broken and bleeding… Terrified, but so numbly lost. Charlotte, in wickedness. My own self in determined terror. Ice controlling me; Me controlling ice. It took its toll on a very evil girl.

_I tiptoed inches to the Spa's door. I could hear Charlotte's sneering at the poor defenseless girl named Cleo who was my best friend. Sneaking a glance through the crack door's opening, I saw with relief that Charlotte's brother's mates were gone…elsewhere. This worried me for a moment. What were they up to?_

_ Right now, it didn't matter since it went perfectly with the plans Will and I had lain out. So I lifted my craftily painted and tanned hand; the hand of a girl pregnant too soon, and shot symbolic frozen darts towards the redheaded girl laughing at a bleeding brunette._

_ At first, my plan seemed to fail. Charlotte staggered, but she turned towards me and wicked fury shot itself from her eyes. "What have you done? Your fingers are supposed to be chopped off!" Then panic settled within her eyes._

_ Slowly, I was freezing her blood. I was the Queen of Ice in the last moments of her life, and she was the Queen of inevitable Death. She had started stuttering right then, and I knew her whole body was starting to take on the wrath of being frozen._

_ "I only did this for love. Nobody's ever loved me…" She whelped. Those words ended up being her last words, because without Bella or a gang of monsters, she was just a nothing; an insignificant girl who nobody loved. The fact just dawned on me, and suddenly I needed to cry. Everything was so messed up and nothing was right at all. And Cleo was crawling away from Lewis's corpse and his torn dick…trying to leave this nightmare._

_ "Cleo!" was just a croak voice that came from my shell. And suddenly, I collapsed, and this stopped Cleo's crawling and we both just lay there in crumpled up balls sobbing. We screamed each others' names and tried to block out the number of corpses or the fact that we seemed to be the blame for this massacre. Would they call it the LAngel Massacre? Who would the media blame? How would the world see us after this day?_

_ "Emma," Cleo hiccuped. But there was so much we both couldn't say so she just bled word vomit._

_ And I hiccuped back, "I know." Then I miraculously found bandages to stop her bleeding. And then we proceeded to another death scene; Bella's._

"I didn't." I lie. "Cleo's my best friend. It didn't matter what happened. I couldn't just leave her there." That part was true. It had helped that I had the power of a mermaid. "I brought a gun, just in case… I had to do stuff. Charlotte…wasn't there when I went to the Spa to save Cleo."

Now, I know they're going to interrogate me about Charlotte's body, why she's completely frozen in a way that just isn't possible at all. But oddly enough, Officer Daryl doesn't.

"So the last time you saw Watsford was when you escaped after Mr. Bennett and Mr. Benjamin brought in the guns?"

"Yes." I give a curt nod, willing him not to peel away the surface and see the truth.

"So you would have no idea where Watsford is? We haven't been able to find her in our search of the hotel." This news thunders inside of me. Where could Charlotte be? I froze her completely. She had been in that Spa room, frozen, incapable of going anyway… Suddenly, I start to shiver and sweat at the same time.

This isn't making sense, and suddenly I'm scared out of my mind again. But I know I killed her. She's dead. She has to be dead.

"And Mr. Benjamin killed Mason Dean, Watsford's half brother while rescuing you?" The officer is tired; long circles have formed under his eyes. This is just another tragedy the world could do without.

"Yes, in defense of Cleo. I see the cops do it all the time in TV shows." I say quickly. I can't have them take Will away.

"And then you murder Hartley…in self defense of course." The officer doesn't even question me, and I'm glad since it's the truth.

"She was going to hurt my baby." I mutter and this causes the policeman's eyebrows to rise.

Then he returns to business. "What weapon was she threatening you with? We can't seem to find any weapon. Maybe Watsford took it when she escaped?"

"Uh, a knife. She was about to stab me." It just comes out. "You won't let Charlotte find us, right?" Even though I know she has to be dead, I'm very much okay with the police making sure she's not alive.

"Of course not, Emma. We're doing everything we can to find her. It's very possible that someone else in the hotel with a gun killed her and is hiding her body since they think they'll get in trouble. Or she could be with the rest of her allies with Rikki, at Mako, or…wherever. But we'll get to the bottom of this. I promise."

I nod and pretend I'm assured, which I should be. I witnessed the lifeless frozen ember eyes. So I let it be. Maybe Rikki saw the body and did away with it…before she disappeared again.

"Oh, and Emma?" The officer says, with a one last thing voice.

I take a deep breath. "Yes?"

"I would advise you and your friends to learn from this. Bullying hurts, and what you did to that girl in high school is an indirect cause of this." He says sternly.

My face burns. I want to scream that he knows nothing. But I keep the calm complex and exterior that I've been mastering my whole life and nod.

"I never meant for anything of this to happen."

. . .

After the police release me from my questioning, I tumble into the waiting room of the police station. Will is sitting there; they've cleared him and a goofy hopeful smile sprouts on his lips at the sight of me. And I run towards him, and let him engulf me, and at the moment, I feel utter pure love…or at least the hope of love. Surrounded by darkness.

"Hey, Em. You okay?" He breathes into me.

"Well, much better than 24 hours ago." I admit with a bitter laugh.

"Cleo hasn't come out yet. They're still interrogating her..." Will tells me nervously, but I'm not sure why. Cleo has done nothing wrong, and they will not blame her for the right of being in love with Lewis, who now is probably being sent, as a corpse, to his mum back in Australia.

"We're never going to be the same." I say, and it's true. And that's the worse part, because I miss being carefree not worrying or being guilty due to many deaths.

"It's not over, Emma. Rikki's still missing. And Zane's still in a coma. It hasn't ended yet. It'll end when we find her." Will says, as if he's in the middle of an important speech that will save millions. And perhaps he would have, if he hadn't met Bella.

The truth has to come out, and it does.

"Will, you know what I said about the pregnancy test?" I slur. He nods, looking at me like I might go delusional. "I lied." I seem to whisper. "I'm…I'm having a baby, Will." And I don't even cry. Maybe there's not enough water or salt inside of me to produce enough tears that I've shed in the last few days.

His eyes hold shock, but his lips are pursed as if he knew but had been pretending for my sake. "I wondered about that, Em." When I sink to the chair, he goes on. "It's okay. You'll get through this." He seems to really believe it. "I'll be here. For whatever you need. I could even…be the father figure or something."

I want to laugh, but it's too hard to. So I give a dimwitted grimace. I reach over and grab his hand, because I am touched. But all these emotions are racing through me, I feel like I can't breathe.

"That would be amazing, Will. But it's too soon. Bella's death…this whole entire tragedy. I know you loved her. I don't want you to fall into a relationship with the pregnant girl." I'm surprised to find I actually have a sense of humor. "But maybe. In the future." This maybe is all the hope I have.

The door Cleo disappeared off to for questioning opens, and two cops come out talking discreetly to each other. I look for my best friend, but she isn't with them. She isn't in the room either. Nightmares cloud my thoughts, while I'm trying to find her, but Will beats me to it.

"Where's Cleo?" He asks the policewoman.

"Well, she left a long time ago, son." She chirps at him. Taking in our death-still worried faces, she goes on; her voice on its' edge. "The last thing she said was that she had to go back and end the darkness, once and for all."

My skull pounds against my skin. My eyes seem to jump out of their sockets. Cleo is in no condition to be alone. She is in no condition to be ending the darkness. So suddenly, I leap forward and start running from the police station. With no words said, Will follows me.

We have to find Cleo. We can't lose someone else.

. . .

Back at LAngel where we supposed Cleo went if she wanted to end the darkness, a yellow line seals the crime scene away from the public eye. This is not stopping Will and I, so we step over it and trot into the helltel, which we swore we'd never have to see again. We are looking for Cleo. We won't let her be the one to end the darkness.

Suddenly, a cop is the corner, who is sipping coffee in a daze, regains his composure and yells, "Hey, you! Stop right now! This is a crime scene!" We're running, and then I see the blue uniformed officers grab Will. I give him one exasperated look; a look that tells him I will do anything to find and save Cleo. Then I run like hell. It turns out I still have skills from my swimming competition days.

I race through the halls of each floor, and am unable to find a soul. Only horrific memories that hang in the air, that I sense in blood stains and a distant smell of fire. I try to block it all out. And I force myself to focus on Cleo as I pass the Spa room, but it doesn't stop the vomit from escaping my mouth.

I'm starting to think this baby is just a bit too aware of what disgusts me, when I notice a small screen in the corner of the hall. It showcases all the camera's views from all over the hotel. I realize this means the cops will be able to find me fast, but not before seeing a wildly lost brunette stumbling over herself, on the hotel's roof, carrying a bloody corpse with a missing dick.

It seems Lewis' mum won't be receiving Lewis' remains after all, but Cleo deems herself the owner of his body and trips towards the roof's edge.

I don't have time to think about what I'll say or do, I just run the fastest I've ever dared to run; my lungs burning, my pulse racing, my baby kicking, all the way up the stairs to the roof.

The brunette I call my best friend is holding Lewis over the roof.

I scream. "Cleo! Stop! Why?" For a moment, she hesitates, and then deciding she owes me an explanation, turns around.

"There's no point, Emma. I know you don't understand. You think that since Lewis and I were basically broken up, it doesn't matter. But it does. It's my fault he died. And it's not worth living to live with the guilt of his death… I can't." Cleo rambles as the insane girl she's becoming.

I stop her, because I have to, don't I? "But Lewis…he wouldn't have wanted this. He would have wanted you to live…and remember him, and…" my eyes float to my belly, "see my baby. You would be the godmother, you know…" I say, and it comes out as the truth it is.

Cleo doesn't respond. So I turn to whimpering, "Please."

"Lewis has to see how much I love him. We always thought it was so dumb and pathetic…Romeo and Juliet…but, we just weren't in their situations." Cleo closes her eyes and steps a foot closer to death. "Emma, don't guilt me into living a life full of pain and darkness. I can't be in this darkness anymore." She doesn't even cry. She's utterly numb, and this scares me most of all. It means she has really given up on life; of being alive and trying to sort through the hell we call emotions.

She's two seconds away from a long fall that she won't survive, so I lunge towards her fragile body that has survived so much. I lunge, and she, dangling Lewis with her, soars through gravity and air and moments that I could never understand… And looking down, screaming and crying, I realize she's peaceful. In some distorted twisted away, she's finding the peace I'll never find, not until my hair is gray and my grandchildren are old, decaying in a coffin-if everything goes as planned.

But no one ever said that peace was better. Because peace means no thoughts, no mind, and ultimately, no life. Just like Cleo when she splats into the ground.

Twisted clarity comes. Cleo Sertori, my shy awkward beautiful friend, died of a guilty and broken heart. The police, however, will say it was impact with the cold harsh bone-shattering concrete.

_**A/N: Wow! So nice to get back into the swing of things! Hard to believe with one more chapter and an epilogue, all this story will be is a speckle of chaos in your memories as well as mine! I don't believe many of you were expecting that, but as we all know darkness doesn't end as it's expected. It eats us up and spits us out into a cruel lost world. If that makes any sense. Please review because it'll make your wish come true! Well…maybe not. But it'll make my wish come true! And that's better than no one's wish coming true, right? –Wonderlust Of A Lost Girl**_


	18. Are You Okay?

_**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**_

_**Copyright Wonderlust of a Lost Girl**_

_**A/N: I'd like to let you know that they're won't be an epilogue for this story. I've been thinking of the many ways I could write it to make a somewhat twisted happy ending, but I've realized I like the story better with this ending. It might not answer everything, but it leaves you (hopefully) with the emotions I want you to have after fully reading this story. Read and enjoy or grimace, and tell me what you think! :D**_

_**Rikki's POV:**_

When I awaken, flashes of memory engulf me.

_I was in a box with tiny holes that barely allowed me to breathe. The monsters carried me into the car. We drove awhile until they stopped, and brought the box on a cruise ship. The other people on the ship didn't know I'm here. They couldn't, or else they would have saved me, right? Right as I was about to scream, I blinked into unconsciousness. There was too much blood loss. It was difficult to think._

_ Soon enough, a monster opened the box and we were in a different room, but I could still feel the sway of the ocean beneath me. He stared at my hands like they were a poisonous toxic horror to his eyes. But soon enough, he bandaged them all up. I was too tired to wonder if this was in Charlotte's agenda, or even where Charlotte was. I was just glad I wouldn't be dying from blood loss, at least I hoped._

_ All through the cruise ship ride, the monsters talked to each other in anxious hushed voices. My head rocked back and forth as I tried to force this all out. _

_I wasn't here. I was in a dream. I was in a bed sleeping with Zane. Zane loves me. And he did not fall off a balcony a few hours ago. No, he was holding me as we slept. And soon enough this dream was going to be over._

"_She never got here! Something's seriously wrong. Charlotte was the one who created the plan. No way would she bail out."_

"_I know. What are we supposed to do with the mermaid?"_

"_I don't know. But she is pretty hot and the sex wasn't horrible. How about we just play with her?"_

"_Or drop her into the sea? I mean, she'll swim. And I'm tired of this. I never knew it'd be so much work for Charlotte to get her revenge."_

"_Well, we've got to do something with her…" The faceless voices continued speaking and I heard some shuffling with their suitcases. And then they screamed. _

_I smiled and then I conked into a needed sleep of nothingness. When I dreamed, Zane and I were back at the Hollywood sign and he promised he'd never leave me._

No longer am I on the ship, but upon sand and heat that I'm all too well familiar with. The sand and heat of Mako. The sun glimmers upon my pale skin. The more I open my eyes, the more reality hits me.

"Hey!" I rub the sand off my hands. "Hey!" I start walking towards the tide. "Hey!" Suddenly, the person who's been yelling collides with me. "Where do you think you're going?"

I stare at him with a stare of indescribable hate, but it doesn't work as it did in my high school days. He just stares back, long and hard. So I lift my hand as a threat, until I realize…my fingers are long gone. So I glance around and find no Charlotte in the middle of lost monsters.

"Charlotte isn't here." I say my observation out loud to make sure it's real.

"Yeah." One of the monsters grunts. "You need to lead us to some moonpool. The one Charlotte talked about. Where is it, slut?"

I wobble in word vomit. Why the moonpool? What is going to happen? Could they really hurt me if I dived into the water right now, and swam far, far away where no one could ever find me?

Then I wheeze out, "This way." I start the long trek through Mako's jungles, where I will lead them into the pit of magic that Charlotte was obsessed with. Then I will do anything else they want. I don't even know why I'm still breathing anymore. If they intend to keep me kidnapped for eternity in a dead insane girl's memory, I'll have to plot an escape. If that fails, then I'll plot my inevitable death.

But first things first, I show them the tiny hole that lies between the two rocks us mermaids jumped from before Cleo stumbled into the cave and changed our lives forever. Then I slide through. First they yell, thinking I've tricked them, and then they, with all their prepared supplies and equipment, fall down as well.

Once we're into the volcanic cove of memories, one of the monsters turns to me, and with a pitiful smile, says, "Hey, we have sandwiches…if you're hungry."

I'm starved, but I can't give him the satisfaction. With my luck, he'd drug the sandwich and some way, and I'd wake up in another one of those nightmarish bondage machines… I shiver, and then snap. "Oh so now, since Charlotte's gone, you want to be nice to me?"

"Well…I just think you should eat." So the guy opens a cooler, and throws a ham and cheese sandwich at me. He seems to be about to leave my presence and huddle up with the others, when he sighs, deep and hard. "Look, I never wanted to do any of this… Charlotte told us we could just get to have kinky sex with hot girls… I didn't think _this _would happen."

I don't respond. I can't. Silence defines the air. I just stare at my reflection in the moonpool; bruised body, dirty face, tired lifeless eyes…a girl that is the vision of lost hope. A girl named Rikki Chadwick. With horror, I realize that girl is me.

Another monster has hobbled towards me. "Yeah, uh, sorry, I guess."

I want to scream, but I can't. I know screaming would only make my head throb more. I know thinking would make my head throb more. And my head is already pounding in its' chaotic thought processes of what happens after this. I want to get my fingers back and burn them all, but I can't. I can't do anything so I just stay quiet.

"Well, I guess it's time. I think she'd want this." One of them mumbles to the other. Then they lean down, and start unzipping one of their large bags. I gag when I see it-her-the evil witch that caused all of this…the evil bitch who's frozen solid-dead.

I try to order my eyes to squeeze shut. I don't want her corpse haunting me, but my eyelids don't listen. I stare, wide with fright and with coldness and with death, as the redheaded vixen is lowered into the moonpool.

I want to gag. I need to. The moonpool can't be ruined by her wickedness. And when I think that surely, she'll float-that is what dead bodies, do isn't it? Except that she doesn't. She was evil, and now she's floating to the sandy bottom of the moonpool, and hopefully to the lowest pit in hell.

As my eyes hover over the spot where she'll eventually decay into pieces of the ocean and sand, I take notice of the strange dirty broken girl again. I promise myself that I won't give up, because the girl that has been lost, who still might be inside of me… She would never give up. I wish I were still that girl.

. . .

_**Zane's POV:**_

_Rikki's smiling with that look of delight; the rare shining of happiness on the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She's laughing at me, twitching her lip and making me want to pull her in and passionately kiss all her pain away. Then she gets taken from me-her smile is gone, her eyes are dull and frightened, and evil men are pinning her down._

_Charlotte holds the strings watching my love get hit and kicked and tortured. They've tied her up, and I know this has happened before-far too many times for me to stand here, doing nothing. So I lunge forward at the men but my punch does nothing. I start pulling at the ropes that restrict Rikki, but my touch is nonexistent._

_I'm invisible and I'm unable to affect anyone. I can't save Rikki. I can't even yell. I can only watch, as Rikki gets beat up and raped, as Charlotte laughs…as Rikki dies._

When I open my eyes, I am met with the sight of two human beings I used to hate. Then again, if I think back accurately, everyone who I care about used to be someone I loathed.

Will sits with a dazed expression, and he's holding his head like has a throbbing headache that won't be ending anytime soon. Emma is by his side, holding his hand, her eyes inching downwards to a stomach that is growing… I frown. They're so lost in their selves. They don't notice me. Which raises the question, where am I?

Looking around, it's all too bright. So I know I'm in a hospital.

Remembering hurts. Rikki and I, her pain as the monsters tortured her, my fall to the concrete… I shudder, and almost kick Will in the face. This makes the couple realize I'm awake, and so they gasp, acting as if they've really cared about me all these years and my death would be so tragic, they'd have to cry and say I was just the misunderstood rich boy…

Which I am. But I don't want them saying it at my funeral.

"Never thought you two would be at my hospital bed." I scoff.

"Yeah well, I don't think either of us envisioned being in a hospital waiting for Zane Bennett to wake up from his coma anywhere in our lifespan." Will spits with a sigh. But really, I can see he's glad I'm alive.

Then it hits me. "Wait? Coma? Ah," then as I realize I slipped into unconsciousness, the pain stabs me. I realize my leg is in a sling and my chest feels like it's been sliced into internal shreds. "Shit. What happened after…the fall?"

"Well…Bella and Charlotte are gone. They're dead." Emma states bluntly.

I raise my eyes at her numb face. Out of it, I ask, "What exactly happened to them?"

"What do you think, Zane?" Emma snaps as if she's had a long day and can't even bear it anymore. "I froze Charlotte and shot Bella. I don't want to talk about it." Will squeezes Emma's hand, and it calms her for only a moment. There's no disguise that can mask their past however; of going through hell and back. Then I realize, I've been through hell back. And Rikki….

"Is Rikki hurt? Is she here? I want to see her!" The moment I said it, I knew something was wrong. Their faces became distorted and they both appeared as if they were about to cry. When the monsters pushed me off the balcony, they had Rikki. They would have hurt her. If she was in the hospital, why would Emma and Will be by my bedside?

They don't answer so I start yelling. "Come on! Where is she?" I shake my head in denial. This can't be happening. She can't be gone. I hear my lifeline start to chirp excessively as my heartbeats faster and faster, but I don't care. "Tell me!"

"They took her. Charlotte's brother's friends. We think they took her to Mako. But…we don't know. They're trying to find her." Emma whispers. And then she breaks, and she falls.

"What? We have to be out there finding her! They're going to kill her! We have to get out of here!" I know I'm acting insane, but I don't care. I don't even care when some doctors come in with worried faces and a big shot. I don't even care when they inject it into my veins, and the darkness consumes me.

. . .

After I wake up, I stay on my best behavior. I do this only to prove the fall did not alter my sanity, and to get to Mako Island and look for Rikki as soon as possible. And within two days, they tell me I seem healthy and ready for hospital release. So, we're off to the island of magic on the edge of Australia.

When Will, Emma, and I (and the absence of Cleo) arrive in Australia's airport, we receive a call from the Australian police that changes our lives.

. . .

_**Rikki's POV:**_

"Wake up! The police are here!" Someone whisper-shouts and I'm stolen from a peaceful sleep where I pretend reality doesn't exist. Slowly I start to hear distant voices calling my name over and over. A search party?

I want to scream, but the monsters give me the glare of death telling me that isn't a good idea. I don't doubt they still have weapons that could tear me to shreds.

"We need to get out of here!" One of them whispers. They're panicking, and with absolute no thought, I help them.

"I'll tell you how to leave if you promise to let me go." I whisper into the nightmare.

They stare at me for as long as they can until they hear the police yelling again. So they nod, and they're at my command. And the sight of them begging makes me smile. "Please, Rikki."

I raise my eyes. They haven't called me by my name once, and it makes me want to vomit. They don't have the right to call me Rikki. "Well, I don't know. Maybe if you slit your dick off first…" I twirl my lip as I'm surprised to hear my hiss.

"Come on. We didn't want to do this to you…" They're lying. So I just shake. "It was Charlotte, not us. Please." They beg. "We'll never do anything to you again, just…"

I stop their banter, and just wheeze out. "The moonpool. You can swim out to the ocean." The police are stepping close to the volcano's tunnel, calling again and again. "Just go!" I scream. Then they jump into the moonpool with their bags, above Charlotte's body, and leave my life forever.

"Rikki? Rikki? We're going to save you!" The police call, but I don't say a word. I will wait awhile, and then dive into the moonpool, and leave this all behind.

But then I hear their voices.

"Rikki! Come on! We need you!" Will is calling with tragedy laced in his voice.

Then Emma weeps, "Rikki! You have to survive… You just have to!"

I hear the pain in their voices, and I want to scream out that I'm here. But I'm not sure that I am. I don't know if the damaged distorted thing I've become can be recognized as Rikki, the girl they once knew. So I keep quiet and fade into nothingness.

Then I hear his voice. It's sad to say that this woke me up from my trance into depression, but it did. Zane Bennett. Feeling something…feeling something horrible because I'm gone.

"Rikki!" He yells and then mumbles. "You know I can't live without you…"

So I silently crawl to the volcano's tunnel opening and wheeze, because I'm exasperated. "I'm here." I wonder if they were going to come down the tunnel anyway, knowing it's our spot of memories, but I decide it doesn't matter. I just want to be with the people that are safe…that don't bring me into a darkness of despair.

They hear my cries, and yell to the police. I hold my tears inside as I watch the seemingly timeless vision of Emma, Will, and Zane shouting in glee, and then telling the police to fetch a rope. I could swim out but the police would think I disappeared again…and I can't bear the thought of being closer to Charlotte than I already am.

I'm just going through the motions as they pull me out. Suddenly, Emma, Will and Zane are surrounding me in an embrace. I can barely think but I know that their love is the only thing that will cure me out of this insanity.

"Are you okay?" Emma hiccups, and tears run from her eyes. Her hand wavers above her belly, where another mysterious survivor is waiting to pop out into the world. Zane hasn't been away from my side for a second, and even in his crutches, and slung arm, he made the trek through Mako Island to find me.

I glance around. We are bundled up in blankets; four survivors of magic; survivors of despair. We're in the middle of Mako Island where all these chaos started, where all the magic started… The darkness has come and it has taken some of us. Lewis, Cleo, Bella, and...Charlotte were all lost along the way. Horror has rewritten my life, but somehow I know.

I tremble, but I have a smile. "No, I'm not okay. But I will be."

_**A/N: The last chapter to one of the best stories of my life. Not because the storyline's beautiful or perfect or because I nailed the characters smack dab into their flaws and attitudes. I didn't. Or because it's free of grammatical or storyline inaccuracies. It definitely isn't. But because, with this story, I have learned so much about writing through all of you, and have been inspired to write about what really haunts me in the middle of the night. So for that, I thank each and every one of you. **_


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